


Wolf of Dunwall

by reina_randwulf



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, High Overseer Martin, M/M, Office Rivalry, Office of Royal Spymaster as an actual intelligence agency, Royal Spymaster Daud (Dishonored), an attempt to write spy fiction, established Daud/Martin, lots of OCs too, lots of headcanon on Morley and its culture and town, pre Rat Plague, will tag warning in every chapter if there's one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 01:47:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 86,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11499189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reina_randwulf/pseuds/reina_randwulf
Summary: The year was 1835 when a rebellion took place in Wynnedown led by a group of separatist anarchist called Free Morley. As the Royal Spymaster, Daud had organized his agents to hunt Free Morley and bring the rebellion to a stop. But when his base in Alba was blown up and his agent went missing, Daud realized the situation was more dire than he expected.Free Morley was coming to Dunwall.Written for Dishonored Bing Bang 2017





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to the lovely artist and beta [notyourdroid](http://notyourdroid.tumblr.com/) and [glotat](http://glotat.tumblr.com/) and also to super lovely [ashestodusters](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ashestodusters/pseuds/ashestodusters/)for proofreading this! This has been an interesting adventure for me to write this fic and I'm glad it's finally here! Special thanks to the peeps on dishonored big bang discord for the daily dose of fun and [taywen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/taywen/pseuds/taywen) for the encouragement and also [carvedwhalebones](http://carvedwhalebones.tumblr.com/) for organizing this event! You can find the wonderful art for Royal Spymaster Daud [here](http://notyourdroid.tumblr.com/post/162979192664/so-heres-a-thing-for-the-dishonored-big-bang) I hope you all will have a good time reading this fic!
> 
> Update 16 October 2017: chapter 1 has been proofread by the awesome ashestodusters. This story will be updated gradually to fix some grammatical error here and there!

In a world of lies and deception, secrets had become something more valuable than a bag of coins.

History books might say the mighty Gristolian naval fleet helped the empire stop the Morley Insurrection, but in reality it wasn’t that simple. If it weren’t for the secrets the Royal Spymaster had uncovered, the insurrection would have lasted longer than just two years. Another attempt to infiltrate Dunwall after Empress Larissa Olaskir’s assassination was prevented when the City Watch barricaded the sewer. A cargo of weapons was destroyed before it reached Arran. The rebel war ships mysteriously sank before they reached the Gristolian Sea. In the end, the Gristolian army found the rebel hideout because of the Spymaster’s spy network.

And what was his reward for his tremendous work? His post, previously hidden from the rest of the world, was exposed to the public.

Daud knew the reason that Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin publicly announced the existence of Royal Spymaster was to reward Lord Spymaster Godfrey Lawson for his tremendous service to the Empire. After all, he couldn’t get the recognition he deserved if he were to stay behind the curtain. Even though logic dictated that it was the right move, Daud couldn’t help but abhor the emperor’s decision. Royal Spymasters used to report only to the emperor or empress. His words were meant only for their ears. Sometimes the Royal Spymaster didn’t tell them anything about his operations because what he was about to do was something they couldn’t condone. The Spymaster was supposed to work in the darkness, his words spoken behind closed doors.

Now everyone wanted to know what the Spymaster was scheming in his lighthouse. The Royal Treasury wanted to audit their funds. The Privy Council pried and relentlessly questioned his decisions despite himself being a member of the Void-damned council. The City Guard requested assistance again and again, leaving him wondering what they actually did to protect the city. The worst was another added responsibility; paperwork.

So much Void-damned paperwork.

Daud breathed out a deep sigh and leaned back into his chair. It was almost seven in the evening and the sky was as dark as the abyss. His shift had ended two hours ago and yet there he was, sitting behind his desk, signing requisition documents. He thought being the head of ORS – the Office of the Royal Spymaster – meant a better life with a higher income, less working hours, his own river boat and carriage, and an aide to assist him. He much preferred holding a blade in his hand and lurking in a dark corner to sitting behind his desk all day long.

Daud took one folder and flipped it open. It contained a transcript from yesterday’s parliament meeting. Seventeen pages long. Great. He was tempted to let this one slide or throw it into the furnace but his men had gone to a lot of trouble to install a small audiograph recorder in the parliamentary chamber as his ears in the Gristolian Parliament. He needed to read it. Who knew what kind of secrets he could uncover there?

It didn’t take long for the words to blur into one giant unreadable mess. He put it down and shut his eyes. A soft popping sound came from his joints when he stretched his muscles. He had been stuck at his desk for far too long. It was time for a break.

Daud headed to the balcony. Wearing only a simple white dress shirt, slacks, and leather gloves, he shivered when the cool wind swept over him. Winter would arrive soon, there was no doubt. He should have worn his Royal Spymaster coat but he was too lazy to retrieve it from his personal room.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes, put one between his lips, and lit it. For a moment he succumbed to the buzzing effect of his cigarette. The sky was pitch black above him. Daud couldn’t see any stars up there, only the moon. Since the wake of industrial age, the stars were nowhere to be seen at night. The smoke had covered the sky, the environmentalists claimed; the Outsider had cursed us because we slaughtered whales for oil, the cults whispered. Daud personally didn’t care much about the cause of the missing stars.

He heard footsteps approaching the door. He turned around and found Thomas Harper, his aide, running towards him. He was still young – he would turn twenty-five next month – but he had proved himself a capable man. Efficient, quick, and more importantly Thomas was easy to read. It wasn’t hard to see how Thomas’ blue eyes glinted with worry. Whatever news he brought was not good.

“Sir, news from Alba,” Thomas informed him.

Daud’s jaw tightened. Things were not good in Wynnedown. An uprising had been discovered by the ORS spy network. Free Morley, they called themselves. It was no secret that the Morleyans valued independence more than peace. Daud had sent his men to stop Free Morley but up until now there had been no significant progress. Now it seemed trouble had come to Alba, a port town in Southern Morley.

“Sir?” Thomas urged when he got no response from Daud.

Daud snatched the letter from Thomas’ hand and tore the wax seal that bore the ORS official insignia; a wolf head with its fangs bared. Underneath the wolf was the ORS slogan, Homo Homini Lupus, ‘man is a wolf to man’. It was a very apt slogan; a reminder of the true nature of man.

His eyes widened when he saw the contents of the letter.

“Sir?” There was a note of worry in Thomas’ voice. His blue eyes shone with concern when his gaze met with Daud’s.

“Thomas, summon the Top Hounds to the Planning Room,” Daud said, “I don’t care if they are already on the boat home. I want them now! We have an emergency.”

“Understood, sir. Is there anything else?”

Daud took a moment to think. His nerves sang with alertness and stress. He could already feel his headache rising in the back of his head. “Tell the servant to fill my water basin.”

He turned his back on Thomas and waited for the young man to leave. After that, he leaned on the metal railing and took a long drag of his cigarette. The cigarette only did so much to lessen the stress he had felt after he read the letter. He brought it back to his eyes and re-read it once more.

 

 

> _Free Morley in Alba, met with Crimson Waters. Fergus Connolly is dead. Quinn Hayes initiated self-destruct_.

***

Daud had a small bedroom adjoined to the Planning Room. The room was originally used as a small storage room, but his predecessor Lord Spymaster Jerome Trevelyan repurposed it into a bedroom. The working hours of a Royal Spymaster were odd. Sometimes he could go home on time and sometimes he didn’t go home for seven days straight. With the things happening in Alba, Daud had a feeling he had a rough week ahead.

There was a small washstand that he kept in the corner of his room with a mirror hanging on the wall next to it. Hot water filled ~~up~~ his water basin and a clean white towel lay beside it. Daud washed his face and grabbed the towel to rinse. After that, he looked up into the mirror and stared at his reflection. He had aged so much in the last 5 years of his tenure as Royal Spymaster. Grey hair had taken over the majority of his temples and some mingled with his once jet-black hair. Deep lines adorned his face, almost looking like the ~~one~~ big scar that ran from his right eyebrow down to his jaw. He would turn forty in three months, but he felt like he was already in his fifties. He wondered how he would look when he was actually fifty years old.

A knock on his door brought him back from his reverie.

“Come in.”

Thomas stepped inside the room. “Sir, the Top Hounds are aboard the elevator.”

His office was located at the top of Kingsparrow Lighthouse while the rest of the ORS divisions were stationed below in Kingsparrow Fort. It took roughly five minutes to get up here. He still had time to prepare.

“Understood, Thomas.” He made sure his black leather gloves were buttoned properly before he extended his hand to take his coat.

“Let me, sir.”

Thomas retrieved the red overcoat from its hook and helped Daud to put it on. It was made from the finest material in all of the Gristolian lands, adorned with a gold chain on his right shoulder and hips. If it were up to Daud he wouldn’t wear this stupid coat. There was no place to stash bombs or spare bullets for his pistol in this coat. The sleeves were too tight to hide a wristbow. The only weapon he could carry was a sword on his hip. Not only did it look too ornate, the coat was actually heavier than it looked.

“Thomas, see if they have arrived or not,” Daud said after he put on his medallion.

"As you wish, sir." Thomas excused himself with a bow.

Now that he was finally alone, Daud leaned on the washstand and took a deep breath.

Losing Alba to Free Morley meant the situation had escalated greatly. Since the start of their rising on Month of High Cold in 1834, Free Morley had focused their activity solely in Wynnedown. Free Morley seemed harmless at first; just a band of students who preached about independence and freedom being the core values of a true Morleyan. They started small at first; giving out pamphlets, meeting in the cafes near their university. They shared their dream of an independent Morley free from foreign sovereignty to any willing ears. There wasn’t much at first. Most people didn’t care about the unrealistic dream of idealistic students. What could they do? Words alone couldn’t change anything without action.

Then their words found their way to the poets and artists’ ears and everything changed.

Artists; they have ~~a~~ curious minds. They were idealistic, romantic even. They chose to see what they wanted to see and not the things that were truly happening. The idea of a land free from the Empire’s hands ignited the flame inside them. It inspired them to write, paint, and sing. Their works helped to turn more sympathetic ears to their cause and their numbers grew rapidly every day. Their art could touch people’s hearts when the students’ words failed. Before anyone noticed, Free Morley had become a big underworld group that united various social class under one dream; a free and independent Morley.

As their numbers grew, they acted more aggressively. They became bold. Peaceful protests in King’s Plaza ended up becoming riots. They attacked the King's convoy and people who supported the Empire. They raided Gristolian businesses and travelling merchants. They even recruited criminal gangs like the Silver Cleaver and Green Vipers. Violence only bred more violence. The Wynnedown City Guard answered them with equally aggressive moves. There were clashes between Free Morley and City Guard. Wynnedown streets were bathed in blood. All for the sake of independence.

Daud couldn't help but ~~to~~ wonder what they were going to do once they had what they wanted. Morley had been in shambles since the famine struck in 1803. Half of their population was scattered around the isles. Their economy was still trying to find its footing and without Gristolian merchants and businesses, it would go to ruin. What would they do once they stood on their own feet?

Another knock disturbed his train of thought.

“Sir, the Top Hounds are here,” Thomas informed him.

“Thanks, Thomas. You may go.”

Daud opened his bedroom and immediately arrived in the Planning Room, It was a ~~big~~ spacious room with a big table in the heart of it; the War Table as they liked to call it. There was the map of whole Empire of The Isles pinned under its glass surface. Some colour coded pawns were scattered over the map, indicating different ORS stations and enemy hiding spots. One side of the wall was adorned with maps of all the big cities in the isles which could be changed for other maps. Right now, it displayed a map of Wynnedown with handwritten notes, photos, and strings to track Free Morley's movement.

“Good evening,” Daud greeted the Top Hounds as he made his way to his seat at the head of the table. The Top Hounds, the Royal Spymaster’s inner circle. Daud had no idea why they were called the Top Hounds. He understood that it had started as a joke and the name stuck.

"Ah, there you are. Can we start the meeting now? I really want to go home soon." Rulfio Abednego greeted Daud from his seat.

Rulfio used to serve in the Serkonan Navy battling pirate ships before he was recruited thirty-five years ago. He was ORS’s oldest agent – nineteen years older than Daud himself – but still sharp and strong. Daud asked him to retire every year, but the old man was adamant about continuing his service as the Chief of Kingsparrow.

"And what's waiting for you back home, Rulfio? A warm blanket and cup of hot milk for an old man like you?" Billie teased him, earning her a scoff from Rulfio and a disapproving sigh from Daud.

People questioned his decision to name Billie Lurk as his Chief of Special Operations because she was too young and brash. They were right in some ways. Billie was a clever woman and she knew it. Her pride would take her down one day no matter how skilful she was with blades and how sharp her brain was.

"Shut your mouth, you two! We all want to go home but we have our duty," Burrows chided, irritated.

Hiram Burrows, Chief of Intelligence and the man Daud hated the most. There was bad blood between them born from mutual disrespect. Burrows belittled him for being a low-born Serkonan urchin instead of a respectable City Watch officer like himself. Daud simply couldn't stand his arrogance. They were recruited in the same year although Burrows was ten years older than him. They went through the same training programs and were thankfully assigned to different divisions. The spark of rivalry ignited once more when Daud became Chief of Special Operations and Burrows Chief of Intelligence. Burrows' hatred towards him grew deeper when Daud was chosen to be the next Royal Spymaster.

Daud considered getting rid of him, firing him and kicking him out of his Lighthouse, but it was safer to keep him close. Keep your enemy close, preferably where you can see them. As much as it pained him to say, Burrows was good at his job. It would be far more dangerous if he used his skills against Daud.

“I don’t remember assigning you to start a fight with your co-worker, Burrows,” Daud said to Burrows.

A flush of red colored Burrows’ cheeks. He pursued his lips and said nothing more, thankfully.

A cup of coffee was waiting for him when he finally sat down. He drank it before he started the meeting. “We received an audiograph?” he asked Burrows while pointing to an audiograph player sitting on the War Table.

“Yes, we did. It’s from Quinn Hayes. He was assigned to Alba as a technician,” Burrows explained as if he could read his mind. “As protocol dictates, an audiograph card that contains important information about the Empire’s safety should be played during Top Hounds meetings.”

“An audiograph?” Rulfio asked, confused. “Why did he send us an audiograph? Couldn’t he just broadcast a coded message like we usually do?”

“You don’t know, Rulfio?” Billie said. She looked impassive, but there was a hint of amusement in her dark eyes. “Free Morley destroyed our base in Alba.”

“What?” Rulfio’s eyes widened as he turned to Daud. “Is that true?!”

“Free Morley didn’t destroy Alba’s base. They found our base, then Quinn initiated self-destruct,” Daud corrected.

“Wait, wait!” Burrows cried out before the conversation could go any further. “How did you know that, Lurk? It’s ~~a~~ classified information!” He raised an accusing finger in Billie’s direction.

She gave him a casual shrug. “Your boys in Intelligence can’t stop talking about it and I happened to overhear their conversation. Maybe you should teach them to be more careful.”

“You’re lying-“

“Shut up, you two!” Daud yelled. He groaned when his headache ~~just~~ spiked up with his tone. Oh great. He took his cup and drank his coffee. “Play it, Burrows.”

 _“This is Quinn Hayes. The date is 1835, 17th day of the Month of Wind. I’m recording this from my apartment in Alba. I… Oh stars…”_ His voice broke. There was a full minute of him breathing hard like he was about to cry.

_“I initiated self-destruct on the 17th day of the Month of Wind around two in the morning, right after I received a message from agent Kieron Brun. He said Free Morley had found our base. And I… Uh… I think I’m going to start from the start. Damn it! Outsider’s hairy ass, I’m not paid for this shit.”_

For a moment there was no sound besides Quinn’s frantic ramblings.

_“On the night of the 16th day, Officer Fergus Connolly went to meet with agent Kieron Brun. Agent Brun, who had been a sleeper agent in Crimson Waters, reported a suspicious person had just made ~~a~~ contact with Crimson Waters about a ‘special delivery’ of unknown objects. The person claimed that he’s a part of a group but the leader of Crimson Waters didn’t tell Brun more than that. As per their agreement, Crimson Waters was going to meet with this person and his group on the 16th day in Crimson Waters’ hideout around noon. It’s my belief that agent Connolly went that night to meet with agent Brun so he could give him an update. Officer Connolly departed around eleven and left me in charge of the base. There were two other technicians with me, Douglas MacMahon and Fiona Ford. It was the last time I saw Connolly._

_“Around two in the morning, an urchin came to the base to deliver a coded message from agent Brun. The handwriting belongs to agent Brun, I can verify it. Uh, I’ll send the letter to you along with this audiograph card so you can analyze it. I’ll read the deciphered message for you.”_

A sound of paper being unfolded.

_“Free Morley and Crimson Waters. Fergus dead. They know. Burn base.”_

A sound of paper being folded back.

_“Not long after that, I heard shooting from the ground floor. I knew instantly that Free Morley had reached our base. I had no time to think so I pressed the self-destruct button. I didn’t even have the time to broadcast a message to Kingsparrow. I grabbed a gun and ran._

_“I don’t know what happened to Douglas and Fiona or Kieron. Dead, probably. I tried to visit the base this morning but it was swarmed with guards. I’m going to sail to Driscol. I think I’ve been followed so I need to get out of Alba. I know it’s a big risk to send this but I don’t have any choice. I hope this card will find its way to Kingsparrow.”_

The recording stopped with a loud click. No one talked for a minute or so. They were too overwhelmed to speak. Daud leaned back into his chair, mind racing with so many thoughts it rendered him speechless.

“Fergus is dead,” Rulfio said, finally breaking the tensed silence. “Damn, he was a good kid.”

“People die in our line of work, old man,” Billie reminded him.

“I know. You don’t have to remind me.”

Daud turned to Burrows. “What about Alba? It’s been three weeks since the explosion.”

“I can order Driscol to send some men to Alba and see what has become of the base. We can only hope Alba City Guard didn’t find anything to link the shop to us.”

ORS’s Alba base was disguised as a clock shop called MacMahon’s Clocks. The ground level was a fully functional store run by Fergus under the alias of Jimmy MacMahon. Fergus was a real clockmaker before he joined ORS. He kept his cover well while maintaining ORS’s spy network in Southern Morley. His customers didn’t know Fergus was broadcasting coded messages to Kingsparrow while he repaired their clocks.

“Is there any way for Driscol’s agents to contact Alba?” Daud inquired further.

“We have agent Sean Marcus working as an editor in Morley’s Post branch office in Alba. I’ve told Driscol to send their agents straight to Marcus.”

There were six ORS trained agents in South Morley. Sean and Kieron were working in Alba while the other four were spread to small town and villages. Kieron was missing so it was left to Sean to inform the other agents about this incident.

“I want Sean to contact the other agents outside of Alba,” Daud said. “Ask them if they have seen suspicious groups crossing their towns or villages. It could be Free Morley. And find Quinn, he’s the only witness we know of and we’re not sure whether he’s still alive or dead.”

“Understood.”

That settled the problem in Alba for now. Daud took a deep breath and moved on.

“So, Free Morley was in Alba and was in contact with Crimson Waters,” Daud continued. “Any theories?”

“Let me get something straight first,” Rulfio interrupted. “This… Crimson Waters… that’s a criminal gang in Alba Port, isn’t it?”

Burrows let out a disgusted snort that deepened the lines around his mouth, making his face more distasteful than ever. “It’s a smuggler ring. They smuggle liquor, weapons, drugs, and sometimes antiques from Morley to Gristol and vice versa.”

“And what did Free Morley want with Crimson Waters?” Rulfio repeated Daud’s question.

“Maybe they want to recruit Crimson Waters?” Billie suggested. “Free Morley recruits criminal gangs, remember? Crimson Water owns Alba Port. It's only logical that Free Morley wants them.”

“Are you two buffoons missing the part where Hayes spoke about a ‘special delivery’? It’s obvious that they wanted to smuggle something." Burrows cut in. “What happened in Alba was quite simple. Brun met this special client with Crimson Waters, found out what the ‘special delivery’ was and then he went to Connolly. Crimson Waters found out about his meeting with Connolly. They killed Connolly. After that they went to our base.”

For a moment no one opened their mouth. It was Billie who finally broke the silence. “What happened to Kieron?”

“Dead,” Burrows answered.

“He couldn’t have written the message if he’s dead,” Billie argued.

“Could it be that his cover was blown and he got captured?” Rulfio guessed.

“No, he would say it in his message if he got captured.” Billie shook her head. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. Her eyes glinted with hope. “He’s still with Crimson Waters.”

Burrows turned his head to Billie. His eyes narrowed, doubtful. “After they found out about Connolly? They shot his handler.”

“I know Kieron, he’s a clever asshole. If there’s someone who can still maintain his cover in that kind of situation, it’s him.”

Much like Billie, Daud didn’t doubt Kieron’s skill. That man was too clever and too cunning to be dead. Daud was also aware that Kieron wasn’t a miracle worker and there was a limit to what he could do.

“We need to find him, Daud,” Billie told him, “he’s not a throwaway agent. You know he’s useful!”

“We’ll update Kieron’s status later. It isn’t our priority.” Daud turned to Burrows. “Burrows, I want to see the letter Kieron wrote.”

Burrows pulled out a rumpled piece of paper from a folder and gave it to Daud. To normal people’s eyes, it was merely an anonymous love letter to someone called ‘Queen’, but a trained ORS agent could see the small cipher hidden between the letters ~~he wrote~~. It didn’t take long for Daud to decipher it, he had memorized the rules of ORS ciphers after all. The message was just like as Quinn said. _Free Morley and Crimson Waters. Fergus dead. They know. Burn base._

Judging from the smudges in the letter, the ink hadn’t been dried properly before Kieron sent it. The handwriting was a bit shaky. The letter was written in haste and Kieron was probably in distress. Was he wounded? In shock?

What happened in Alba?

Daud put the letter on the table and got ~~up~~ to his feet. He grabbed the edge of the table and leaned forward. His eyes were fixed on the wolf-head pawn that was placed over Alba. He took it and tossed it into a wooden box where he kept all pawns for the map. His base in Alba, gone, eaten by the fire. Until he set up the new base, he wouldn’t put the wolf-head pawn back on the War Table.

“Why was Free Morley there in Alba?” Daud wondered out loud, eyes still glued on the map before him.

No one answered him. The room was deadly quite, waiting for him to continue. He kept his mouth shut and let them wait. His mind tried to link every piece of information he knew; the rise of Free Morley in Wynnedown, their Gristol-hating propaganda, the criminal gangs they recruited, the fact they were in Alba and were in contact with Crimson Waters, a Special Delivery. They all led to one thing.

Daud didn’t like it.

"Free Morley in Alba,” Daud repeated. Three pair of eyes snapped back to him. "Kieron mentioned a ‘special delivery’. They want to smuggle something. What do they want to smuggle?” He looked up and stared down at his Top Hounds one by one. He stopped at Billie.

"Guns? Bombs? Ammunition?" she guessed.

"They don't need Gristol to find weapon suppliers. They have plenty from Fraeport," Burrows argued.

"Could it be they just want to recruit Crimson Waters?" Billie kept guessing.

"They already have a smuggling ring within their ranks," Burrows countered. "Were you paying any attention during our meeting last Friday? We have proof linking Ivory Oars with Free Morley. Ivory Oars is an infamous smuggling ring in Wynnedown who have access to Tyvia. Why would they need another one?"

“Ivory Oars only have access to Tyvia. Crimson Waters have access to Gristol.”

“Free Morley _hates_ Gristol. Why would they want goods from Gristol?”

“If that’s the case then why were they meeting with Crimson Waters for a ‘special delivery’? Can you tell me, Burrows?”

Rulfio was giving up on the debate between Burrows and Billie. The old man merely shook his head in disappointment and threw a subtle pleading glance at Daud to stop them.

Daud closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Burrows and Billie were both smart but their unprofessional quarrel hindered their work. At least Daud never brought his rivalry with Burrows into the Planning Room when he was still the Chief of Special Ops. Billie still needed to learn to control her impulses.

“Shut the fuck up!” Daud bellowed. He banged his fist on the table, making his cup rattle softly on its saucer. Both Billie and Burrows shut their mouths but they were still glaring at each other. Daud cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “What makes Alba special? What makes it different from the other major Morleyan cities?"

It took some time ~~s~~ for them to ponder ~~on~~ Daud's question but eventually Billie spoke out, "It's the closest port to Gristol."

Burrows' eyes widened as realization struck him. His thin lips parted in silent gasp. Horror clouded his grey eyes when he turned to Daud. Rulfio came ~~in~~ to the same conclusion; his face pale when he turned his gaze to Daud. Billie was the last to get it. She looked as horrified as her colleagues.

"They're coming to Dunwall," Daud said.

Another tense ~~d~~ silence filled the room. Daud swept his gaze across the room and found grim eyes staring back at him.

“Free Morley's 'special delivery' was themselves,” Daud continued, “they want to come to Dunwall and they’re going to be armed. They will bring weapons and ammunition; things that can’t be brought on ~~a~~ normal passenger ships. Crimson Waters has a reputation as the only Morleyan smuggler ring that has sailed to Dunwall undetected – Kieron has confirmed it. According to him, Crimson Waters’ ship – Ler – is a small cargo ship with many hidden compartments designed specifically for smuggling. Its size and speed make it harder to ~~be~~ detect ~~ed~~ by the Dunwall river patrol. If Free Morley wants to come to Dunwall, Crimson Waters is their best shot.”

Daud paused to take a deep breath while the others seemed to be holding theirs.

“Quinn sent his audiograph twenty-three days ago,” he continued. “It takes four weeks to travel from Alba to Dunwall and we’ve already wasted three weeks. We can safely assume they’re already halfway across the Great Gristol Sea.”

Nobody made a sound when Daud took a snake pawn from the box.

“Crimson Waters make ~~s~~ people believe that they can get _Ler_ to Dunwall Port and load their ship with illegal contraband without getting caught but we know it’s not the case. No ship can sail past Kingsparrow without us knowing. We are the gate keepers of Dunwall Port so we know for sure that _Ler_ has never made it to Dunwall Port. They cannot sail to Dunwall without getting caught so they stop at the nearest port and continue their journey on foot or by a carriage. So they stop at Artenton.”

Daud tapped his finger on the small dot on the eastern coast of Gristol. He could see Rulfio nodd ~~ed~~ his head in his peripheral vision.

“Artenton is a small fishing town. Small towns like Artenton are beyond the Gristol City Watch’s jurisdiction because they only cover big cities. It’ll be easier for them to dock their ship unnoticed and steal a carriage or two.” Daud traced the dotted lines from Artenton to Dunwall. “Artenton and Dunwall are connected by Olaskir Road. There are some inns for them to rest in and small villages to stock their supplies. It’s a relatively safe journey with a small chance of a bandit attack. It’s the most likely route Free Morley will take.”

“I agree with Daud,” Rulfio said. “Morley sent a small team of assassins to kill Empress Larissa Olaskir during the insurrection. The late Lord Spymaster Lawson speculated that they used this tactic to infiltrate Dunwall. They docked their ship in a town far enough from the City Watch’s grasp but close enough to be travelable by carriage. After that they snuck into Dunwall through the sewer system before finally they arrived at the Tower.”

“That’s exactly my point.” No one made sound when Daud put the snake pawn on Artenton. The silence was loud enough to speak for their fear.

“What would you like us to do, Daud?” Billie immediately asked. Her dark eyes glinted under the light.

“Drastic precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of Dunwall!” Burrows declared. “I ~~’d~~ say we restrict entry for non-Dunwall citizens! Ban them all if necessary!”

“Have you lost your mind?” Billie asked, baffled and mad. “People from all over the isles come to Dunwall every day. Traders, merchants, travellers, foreign dignitaries. We can’t just deny those people their right to enter Dunwall. Would you stop a Serkonan ship docking in Dunwall or those who come from Tyvia just because we suspect Free Morley is coming?”

“They’re going to kill Her Majesty, you idiot!” Burrows exclaimed.

“That’s the most likely outcome,” Rulfio commented. “Without the empress, Dunwall would be in shambles. Lady Emily is too young to rule. The Privy Council will be busy choosing a Lord Regent. Free Morley would use that time to act.”

“And that’s why we need to deny all entry for non-Dunwall citizens! We have to keep Dunwall safe from those vermin!” Burrows added.

“There is another way!" Billie insisted. She turned to Daud with her eyes blazing with determination. “Daud, let me gather a team. I get to Artenton in three days. Let me hunt them, Daud. I can stop them!”

A sharp throb in the back of his head forced Daud to close his eyes. His headache couldn’t pick worse time than this.

“Billie, gather a team and send them to Artenton. Stop those bastards from coming to Dunwall,” Daud said.

Billie nodded. Daud noticed the little shake in her shoulders. She was excited. “I’ll assign ~~ed~~ a team with me as the lead.”

“No, you’re staying in Dunwall.” The glare Billie was throwing at him was fierce and full of fury. He answered it with another glare. “We need you here to strengthen our forces should they fail to capture these Free Morley agents.”

“If I go with them, I can assure you the mission won’t fail.” There were two things Daud saw in Billie’s eyes right now; arrogance and defiance. She thought he was wrong.

“I need you here. We have to prepare for Free Morley’s arrival. Make sure we don’t overlook anything to create a gap for them to exploit.”

“That’s why we have to close the gate to non-Dunwall citizens!” Burrows insisted. “What better way to prevent these terrorists from coming to our city than that?”

“We’re not going to close the gate, Burrows. I have no authority to order that and I’m sure Her Majesty won’t allow that.”

“It’s your job to convince her as the Spymaster, Daud. Her Majesty is a weak-willed woman. She doesn’t know what’s best for her! A gullible leader like her will doom the empire to its downfall. She’s too busy screwing around with her bodygu-”

“Silence!” Daud banged his fist on the table once again, rattling the nearest pawn. He felt his headache prickling him, driving him to grind his teeth to chase the pain away. “Be careful of what you say, Burrows. I can send you to Coldridge for treason.”

Burrows clenched his jaw. His face flushed when he casted his glance away from Daud in defeat.

“Billie, I want you to go to the New Mercantile district. It’s the biggest Morleyan community and it’s located outside the Dunwall city wall. Free Morley will need a place to hide once they arrive. I want you to make sure no one would shelter them.”

“Isn’t it Burrows’ job to spy on people?” Billie asked.

“It is indeed my job,” Burrows said. “I can broaden my spy network to New Mercantile using my Responsible Citizen Group.”

“No, it’s not the time for your delicate way,” Daud countered. “We don’t have much time. This is a job for special ops.”

Both Billie and Burrows looked like they wanted to argue with Daud but neither raised any objection in the end.

“I’m going to Dunwall Tower after this. Her Majesty needs to be informed immediately. Rulfio, prepare the equipment for Alba’s new base. Burrows, give me names for Alba’s new chief of station. Billie, seriously, don’t even think about defying my orders and going to Artenton yourself. If there are no more questions then you’re all dismissed.”

Daud didn’t wait until his Top Hounds had left the room before heading up to his office. He shrugged off his coat and carelessly tossed it onto his desk. After that he sat down and slumped back into his chair. A long sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. He felt like someone was hitting his head with a hammer. Void take him, he needed a break.

He blindly reached for a small button that was hidden under his table. Not long after that, Thomas arrived with a glass of water and an aspirin.

“Thank you, Thomas,” Daud mumbled after he took the medicine. He slumped with his head back and waited for the aspirin to kick in.

"Do you need anything else, sir?" Thomas asked.

"Tell the dock to prepare my boat. I'm going to Dunwall Tower tonight."

"Are you going to go there before dinner or after dinner, sir?"

Daud’s stomach churned at the mention of food. He had skipped lunch today, not the first time he had done that. He had been told by a certain someone that coffee and cigarettes didn’t count as food. In fact that certain someone told him that very ‘helpful’ information two days ago when he invited Daud to ~~a~~ dinner in his home--

Void be damned. He’d almost forgotten he had a dinner date with Martin tonight.

"Wait here."

Daud reached for his notepad and quickly wrote a letter to Martin. That jerk tended to get pissed when he cancelled their dinners. He couldn’t really blame Martin. He got pissed too when Martin did the same. It was inevitable. They were busy people with important positions. Martin, the High Overseer. Himself, the Royal Spymaster. It had taken hard work and a little bit of a miracle to keep their relationship working for these past six years.

 

 

> _There's a crisis in Morley and I have to go to The Tower to speak to Jessamine. You'll know more about it tomorrow. Get ready for a Privy Council meeting tomorrow._
> 
> _We have to cancel our dinner tonight. I'm staying at the Lighthouse tonight, not sure for how long._
> 
> _See you tomorrow._

"Give this to Feodor. Tell him to deliver it to Martin," Daud said while giving Thomas the letter.

Thomas took it and immediately put it in his inner coat pocket. "Should he deliver it to Holger Square or his home, sir?"

Daud took a quick glance at his fob watch. Martin must have headed home by now. "His home. Don't get caught."

Feodor was his other aide, a personal courier to be exact. He carried both work related messages and personal messages as well. He didn’t remember the exact day when Feodor started delivering his letters to Martin. Feodor was content with it. Maybe he still felt grateful and indebted to Daud for rescuing him from an orphanage. Nevertheless, Feodor was great courier. He was fast and stealthy. He hadn’t got caught delivering Daud’s letters to Martin. His relationship with Martin was a secret. Two men in a relationship was a scandal. The High Overseer and The Royal Spymaster in a relationship was a disaster.

"Should I inform the kitchen to bring your dinner now, sir?" Thomas waited until Daud gave him a nod before he continued, "As your wish, sir."

Once Thomas had left his office, Daud immediately went back to his pondering. When Morley began its insurrection back at 1801, some Morleyans killed Empress Larisa Olaskir in Dunwall Tower. Would they do it again now? To what purpose? Currently he had not enough facts to draw a conclusion but he would and when he did, he would stop Free Morley.

He was Daud, the Lord Spymaster, he would keep the empire safe.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost 8PM when Daud finally took the cable elevator down to Kingsparrow Fort. There were still some documents left on his desk but they could wait.

The fort seemed empty at the first glance. Night shift tended to be quieter than the day shift; no one practicing in the training yard and no couriers running around in the hallway to deliver messages from one division to the other. There were only some patrolling agents and sentries who greeted Daud with a deep bow when he walked passed. Despite it all - if he listened closely - he could hear people murmuring behind the doors. People from Intelligence Division were still busy collecting information from their agents and informants. People from research and development were still developing upgrades for their equipment. People from Special Ops - Billie’s men – they were waiting for their assignments. That was where Daud was heading to.

He made a turn to the fort’s west wing, to Special Ops Division. He met some agents in the west wing and he ignored them all as he ventured deeper until he reached Billie’s office. He entered the room without bothering to knock. The woman he was looking for was sitting behind her big desk, seemingly drowned in her work. When she noticed her boss was making a surprise visit, she merely gave him an irritated scorn.

"Daud," she greeted him.

He took a seat across Billie then leaned down to take a peek on the map on Billie's desk. It was New Mercantile map. "Already working on it?" Daud tapped the map.

"I’m planning on working with a small team. A large team will only attract people’s attention,” Billie continued. “I’m going to take Denman, Rickard, Akila, and Chester with me. They’re good with investigation."

Daud raised an eyebrow at Billie’s choice. "Novices?"

“This is hardly a job for experienced agents. I think it’s going to be a good lesson for the pups.” She took her seat and rested her hands on her wooden desk.

“You’re going to New Mercantile with _novice agents_.”

She rolled her eyes. “You worry too much, old man. New Mercantile isn’t that big, it won’t be difficult or dangerous. I think I’m over qualified for this.”

Daud didn’t miss the bitter resentment in her voice. “We need you here.”

“Of course.” A sardonic smile graced Billie’s face. “What will you do without me?”

Daud shook his head and decided to let it slide. “Don't forget to check if there's any way for Free Morley to enter Dunwall from New Mercantile. Check the sewer. The Morleyans used sewer during Morley Insurrection to go to Dunwall Tower. Search for any back doors."

"I know, _Dad_. You don't need to tell me.” The nickname rolled easily on Billie’s tongue. He could see the glee in her eyes as he scowled. “Seriously, I’ve got this. Please don't tell me you're here to see how I'm doing."

"No, I'm not."

His words caught Billie's full attention. Her posture became tensed as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "It’s about Burrows, isn’t it?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t fight with Burrows during Top Hound meeting!” He noticed the subtle twitch on Billie’s shoulder when he raised his voice. “Don’t provoke him during Top Hounds meeting! Do you think it’s funny? I need both of you to work together.”

“I hate him,” Billie said. “You hate him too. At least you _hated_ him when you were in my position. Now you seem so eager to fulfill his request.”

“Is that what you think it is?” Daud pinched the bridge of his nose. The prickling headache started to creep back to the back of his head. “I try to tolerate him. I can’t do my job if I oppose him all the time.”

Billie snorted. “Losing your wit, old man? You used to enjoy roasting Burrows during meeting with Lord Trevelyan.”

“No, I didn’t,” he lied.

“Yes, you did. I’m just following your footsteps.” Billie and her clever mouth. He really hated it when she used it against him.

“What’s your problem?”

“What do you want me to say?” Billie raised her voice, aggravated for some reasons. Daud caught anger flashing in her dark eyes. Anger for whom? Him? “You’re too lenient with him. Responsible Citizen Group? A group of civilians acting as Burrows’ spies? It’s stupid! Why would you want untrained civilian as your spies? And you have to pay them? Our money is wasted on them!”

“We do pay civilians to spy for us, Billie. We’ve recruited plenty of civilian spies before. We recruited Lord Caine’s assistant to help us with Karnaca. You’re the one who authorized her recruitment. ”

“We didn’t pay her. We _bribed_ her,” Billie pointed out. “After Lord Caine’s been caught for treason – and I believe it’ll be soon because I really need Rapha and her team back, we’re understaffed. Burrows’ RGC on the other hand is a band of snitches. They sit idle in their homes, work places, restaurant… They’ll contact ORS when they find something useful. Do they know what’s useful for us? And why they’re all from nobility? If you want to see action, he should recruit more street rat, but no, he recruited nobles! Fucking nobles. Is Burrows trying to build a private army?”

“It’s too soon to judge,” Daud countered.

Billie shook her head. “You’ve changed since you became the Royal Spymaster.”

“Yes, I have and you’re still the cocky arrogant girl I picked from the street.” Daud pointed out. His nostril flared in anger as he leaned forward and his finger raised at Billie’s direction. “I changed so I can become the Royal Spymaster this empire deserves. I changed so I can do my job, so I can prove myself to all of fucking Dunwall that I’m more than just a low born Serkonan in their precious society. You can’t be like this forever, Billie. You have to learn how to play the game or else you’ll die. It’s not about who’s the strongest anymore. We’re spies, use your brain; pick your war wisely.”

Billie bit her lip and casted her eyes sideways.

“This is the time of great danger. Free Morley is on our doorstep. We can’t afford to make any small mistake. We can stop the uprising before it escalates into a war. I want to know their deepest secret. I want more information. Even the tallest tower can crumble if we take a small brick from the bottom of its wall.”

After a moment of silence, Billie finally relented. She threw her hands up in the air. “Alright. You win, old man.”

“Try to be civil around Burrows.” Daud got up on his feet. “I mean it.”

Daud heard Billie huffed out a snort when he turned around and headed out to the dock.

He arrived at the dock without any trouble. His mood had gone sour after his conversation with Billie and it seemed everyone who crossed his path knew it. They were either change their route or simply stood aside and let him pass through. The only man who seemed to be brave enough – or maybe insane enough – to defy the protocol was Rulfio. There was only a thin wall that separated bravery and stupidity after all.

“Daud,” Rulfio greeted him. The old man came to him and stood beside him.

“Still here?” Daud asked him.

“Just checking for the equipment to start a new base.” Rulfio jerked his head to the crates. “Besides, how can I sleep knowing there’s a second Morley Insurrection waiting to happen?”

"There won't be another insurrection," Daud told him. "Free Morley isn’t strong enough to start a full fledge war against Gristol. Not without their king’s support.” Unless they found a way to force King Turlough’s hand; like assassinating the Empress of the Isles for example.

"I hope you’re right," Rulfio said. He casted his eyes on the dark sea ahead of them, to the gentle waves that steadily rolling to the shore. "It was pure chaos when Empress Larisa was murdered. I was still young that time, still an agent in training, but Outsider’s eye, I still remembered it. The Parliament was grilling us. They’re calling us out on our negligence, accusing us for not doing our job. You can't imagine how stressful it was. Johnson got fired and Lawson took his place. He practically worked himself to death for two years.

"It would be worse for you now, Daud. Back then the public didn't know about us. Now they do. It wouldn't be just the Empress’ Privy Council and the parliament watching you but all of Dunwall. The newspaper will condemn you if we fail. They would blame us if something bad happened."

"I'm aware of that," Daud said grimly. People would call for his head if Jessamine was killed.

"Empress Jessamine is a benevolent leader with good heart but she's stubborn like a blood ox," Rulfio continued. "She wouldn't want to go into hiding should the need arise."

Daud clenched his jaw. Rulfio was right. Jessamine always wanted to display a strong and dependable image to her subjects. She probably said something like, ‘we should show them that we are not afraid of their threat, the Empire will prevails’.

"We have a Royal Protector now," Daud reminded him, “it won’t be easy to get to Her Majesty with Corvo around. She’s safe with him. He won't let any harm fall upon the Empress. He would protect her with his life."

They fell into silence once more. The sound of waves filled the space between them.

"Keep me posted for any updates," he said and walked to his boat when he saw his boatman had arrived.

***

Daud arrived at Dunwall Tower water lock system around eight thirty in the evening. An officer at water lock system greeted him and told him that the empress was waiting for him in her office. He thanked him and made his way towards the courtyard.

Visiting hour ended at five every day so there was no fawning nobles or impatience representative of some working unions waiting to meet the empress. The courtyard and tower ground level were open to public, much to Daud’s and his predecessor’s dismay. Having too many people within the tower’s area could raise the threat of assassination and other equally bad things. Daud had to post some agents to keep close eyes on the empress and her child. 

No one was there at the courtyard except from him and some guards. Without any distraction, he could appreciate its serenity. Winter was coming soon so the trees had mostly shed their leaves. Green bushes were long gone. It was still beautiful in some way. He could find beauty in a cold decaying place-

“Emily! Come out please!”

A young woman’s voice interrupted his train of thought. A brunette with plain face and terrified brown eyes. She must be Callista Curnow, the princess’ new governess and also Commander Curnow’s niece. When he knew Emily needed a new governess, Daud made sure Callista got hired by Jessamine. Having the commander of Gristolan City Watch as a friend had its own benefit.

“What are you doing here, Ms. Curnow?” Daud asked while walking towards her direction.

Callista jumped in surprise, clearly didn’t hear him coming. She squirmed under his gaze, brown eyes refused to meet with his. Daud didn’t need to look further to know she was hiding something and was feeling guilty about it. “Oh… uh… Good evening… Lord…” She looked at his medallion nervously and gulped. “Lord Spymaster.” She curtsied.

Lord Spymaster. Even after five years, he still couldn’t get used to people addressing him like that. There was a reason why he insisted to be called ‘sir’ by his subordinates.

“I hear you’re calling for Lady Emily. Did you lose her?”

“No!” Panic flared behind her eyes. She brought a hand to her chest and bit her lip to hide it from Daud. “We’re just playing hide and seek, that’s all. It’s her favorite game.”

Daud folded his arms and “At this hour?”

She clenched her fist when she heard the subtle accusation in his voice. “I know it sounds unlikely but it’s true. When I come to her bedroom, I found this note on her bed.” She gave him a note. The handwriting belonged to a child.

> _Dear Callista,_
> 
> _I don’t feel like sleeping so let’s play hide and seek instead! I’m going to hide and you have to find me! I promise I’ll go to sleep afterwards so don’t worry! It’s going to be fun!_
> 
> _Emily Drexel Lela Kaldwin_   
> 

There was a drawing with crayons of a little girl in sleeping gown hiding behind box and a woman in black clothes looking for her. Emily and Callista. The childish accuracy of the drawing made him snort.

“She likes to draw,” Callista explained.

“I know,” he told her and gave the note back. As an eight years old kid, Emily’s interest involved drawing, beautiful doll, and hiding from her governess. As far as he concerned, it was quite normal. “Why makes you think she’s in the courtyard?”

“I’ve searched for her inside the Royal Quarters,” Callista began. “Study room, the library, her majesty’s royal chamber, the foyer, throne room. I’ve checked everywhere inside the Tower so I thought… maybe she’s out here?”

Daud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Callista was young. She lacked the experience. How old was she? Seventeen? Eighteen?

“Emily is impulsive but she’s not stupid. She’s still inside the tower. There’s one place you haven’t search because you’re too afraid to look and she knows it.”

Callista bit her lower lip. She knew where it was but she was too afraid to go there.

“She’s hiding in Her Majesty’s office,” Daud said.

Callista let out soft terrified gasp. “What if Her Majesty thinks I’m not capable of being Lady Emily’s governess anymore?”

Daud breathed out a sigh. “Her Majesty won’t mind. Lady Emily always does this to her new governess.”

Her brown eyes suddenly shone with a bit of hope. “Is that true?”

Another sigh escaped his lips. “I’m going to Her Majesty’s office. If you want we can walk together.”

After a minute of internal debate, she finally made up her mind and accepted Daud’s offer. Together they headed inside the Tower. The sentries on the door eyed them curiously. It must be weird to see Callista’s timid figure trailing behind Daud’s imposing one. Daud silenced them with a glare before they could make any comment.

Just like he predicted, Emily was hiding in Jessamine’s office. That little girl was sitting beside her mother in the sofa near the fireplace, laughing. The Royal Protector was standing behind the sofa, looming over them like a protective shadow. The fond smile on his lips and his relaxed posture betrayed his usual stoic demeanor he presented in public. Here in this room, Corvo Attano wasn’t a Royal Protector but a father and a husband; two position he wouldn’t get formal recognition no matter how obvious it was.

Politic. Daud never understood it.

“Daud!” Emily exclaimed with a wide grin. She jumped from the sofa, ran towards him, and then wrapped her arms around his legs in tight embrace. He had no heart to push her away so he let her do as she pleased.

“Lady Emily! Thanks the stars! I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” Callista said from behind him.

Emily, thankfully, disentangled herself from Daud. She threw her widest grin at her governess. “Callista! You found me!”

Callista came to Emily’s side and put a hand on her small shoulder. “Don’t do that again, please Lady Emily. You gave me a fright.”

The little girl chuckled. “I promise I won’t do that.” A blatant lie but she managed to make it sound convincing. She could grow up as a great liar if her parents did nothing about it.

“I’m holding to that promise,” Callista said. Unbelievable. This girl was ten years older than Emily and yet he got fooled by Emily’s innocence charm.

“Anyway, Daud!” Emily looked back at him with a jubilant grin. “When Mother told me you’re coming, I thought she lied. It’s still Monday. You usually come on Friday.”

“I have something important to discuss with your mother,” Daud told her.

The excited grin on her dropped into a scowl. “Are you here to bring some bad news? You always come here with bad news.”

There was no denying that Emily was sharp, but hearing those words coming from her lips sounded like she was blaming him from the bad things that happened in the empire. The childish pout spoke so much of her contempt. It didn’t sit well with Daud so he turned his attention to Jessamine and Corvo. Both empress and bodyguard were looking at him with uncertainty.

In the end Daud looked back at Emily. “Go back to your bedroom. It’s past your bed time.”

“But Mother is telling me a story about a singing frog who wants to marry a beautiful princess but he can’t because he’s a frog. He wanted to be a human so he went to an old whale who could turn him into a human.”

“Daud is right, Emily,” Jessamine said while approaching her daughter. She put her hand on her shoulder. “It’s late and it’s time for you to sleep.”

“But I want to hear the rest of the story! The whale promised he would turn him into a human if he could sing like a whale. And Corvo promised he would do the whale sound! I want to hear it!”

“I’ll continue the story tomorrow.” Jessamine squeezed Emily’s shoulder. “If you don’t sleep now, you’re going to be very tired tomorrow. If you’re tired, you can’t be strong like Corvo. Isn’t that right, Corvo?”

“It’s true,” Corvo said. “If you don’t sleep, you’ll become old like Daud.”

Corvo gave him a shit eating grin on his face when Daud glared at him. Bastard.

“Callista, please escort my daughter back to her bedroom,” Jessamine said.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“See you later, Daud!” Emily waved her hand at him before she left with Callista. Without her chattering cheerfully to fill the space, the room suddenly became much quitter.

Now, unto more interesting matter. 

“Whale sound, huh?” Daud turned his attention to Corvo and smirked.

"Corvo makes a very convincing whale sound," Jessamine added with a sly grin. She looked at Corvo, eyelashes dropped in seductive way.

Oh no. He had a bad feeling about it.

"Do I?" Corvo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop right there. I don't want to hear it," Daud said before Jessamine could elaborate more. It probably involved their bedroom activity. His skin crawled at the mere thought of it.

“Are you sure? You’re the one who taught me how to make whale sound, remember?” The shit eating grin was back to his face. Fucking bastard.

Grumbling to himself, Daud took a seat on a chair near Jessamine's desk while listening to the couple silently laughing at him.

“Stop teasing the poor man, Corvo,” Jessamine said with an amused grin that betrayed her words.

“I will if he stops making it so easy to do that.”

Corvo was the only person Daud considered as his friend. They had known each other since they were boys. They grew up together, fought together, and stole foods together. When Daud went to Dunwall after he was recruited to ORS, he thought he wouldn't see Corvo again. He didn’t know Corvo would win the Blade of Verbena, became a Grand Guard officer, then got sent to Dunwall. They were practically brothers. So when Corvo got involved with Jessamine, Daud's relationship with the empress changed from empress and her spymaster to something like a family.

It was a pretty messed up family to be honest.

"Can we talk now? As your daughter pointed out, I'm here to bring bad news. Urgent bad news," Daud insisted.

The easy smiles on their faces were gone, replaced by guarded expressions. Jessamine took her seat behind her desk while Corvo assumed his usual position; behind her chair. They didn’t say anything, merely waiting for Daud to speak. He suddenly felt his high collar was too tight.

“There’s a radical group called Free Morley in Wynnedown and I think they’re planning to start a second Morley Insurrection.”

Daud then explained everything to Jessamine. He told her about the rising of Free Morley, their propaganda, their activity, and finally the Free Morley men who were heading to Dunwall. Jessamine and Corvo listened to him. Dread struck them deep, silencing them. By the time Daud was finished with his report, Jessamine was as pale as a sheet of paper while Corvo was livid.

“Are you sure?” Corvo asked him.

“I lost a base and its chief of station and my agents are missing so yeah I’m sure,” Daud replied. “It’s not clear what their goal is but I’m sure they’re heading to Dunwall. I’ve already sent my special ops team to Artenton. We believe they’ll dock there and continue their journey on a carriage.”

"Artenton..." Corvo brought his fingers to his chin. "The fishing village? The small fishing village north from Dunwall?"

Daud scoffed. "You'll be surprised when you find out how easy it is to smuggle something to Dunwall from there."

Corvo scratched his chin. "No City Watch there?"

"No City Watch. It's outside their jurisdiction," Daud replied. "Artenton is about three days ride from Dunwall. The road is relatively safe. It's the best route for the-"

“How long have you known about Free Morley?”

Both Daud and Corvo were startled by Jessamine’s question. Her cheeks were flushed red. Her eyes narrowed into a cold glare that could match the frozen tundra of Tyvia. Daud braced himself. There was no escaping the ire of the empress now.

“Three months, Your Majesty,” Daud replied.

“Three months?” She surprised Daud once more when she banged her fist to the desk. “You’ve known there’s a group that threaten the empire for a month and you didn’t tell me until now?”

“I didn’t see the need to do so, Your Majesty,” Daud countered.

“They’re trying to start a coup against the empire and you honestly didn’t see the need to tell me?”

“A coup suggest Free Morley has a support from Wynnedown City Guard or the army or even the king. They are a group of idealist students and anarchist artists. They have their help from some criminal gangs for fuck sake!”

Jessamine raised a finger at him. “Careful with your words, Lord Spymaster. Don’t forget your place. You’re talking to an empress.”

Daud gulped and dipped his chin to his chest, acknowledging his fault. He cleared his throat before he said, “My point is this is different from the first Morley Insurrection. During the first insurrection, it was the king himself who started it. He had supports from everywhere. The army and naval fleet were on his disposal. Free Morley is just a group of students and artists. They are being hunted by Wynnedown City Guard, Your Majesty, and in my opinion they’ve handled it well enough. Free Morley is a threat to Wynnedown, that’s true, but it’s hardly a threat to you and Dunwall.”

“Not until they made their move to kill me, you mean?” Jessamine sneered at him.

Daud’s eyebrow twitched, not missing the insult in her tone. He balled folded his arms and grasped the fabric of his overcoat. “I underestimated them,” he confessed.

“A threat is a threat, Daud. You should have told me sooner.”

It took his all self-control to not lash out at Jessamine. An empress or not, she had no right to tell him how to do his job. “If I told you sooner, what would you do, Your Majesty?”

“I’ll help King Turlough to deal with Free Morley of course!”

“And how do you think you can do that, Your Majesty?”

The Empress finally fluttered. Her shoulder tensed as she straightened her back. She blinked her eyes a couple of times before she said, “It’s a matter that should be discussed with my Privy Council, Lord Daud.”

Daud grunted. He knew she would say that. Jessamine was a good ruler for her subject, but she was untrained in the way of war.

“What do you think, Corvo?” Jessamine asked her bodyguard.

“You can’t intervene directly, Your Majesty,” Corvo jumped in to help Daud. “It will cause more uproar considering this whole ordeal was born from Morleyan’s hatred towards Gristol and the empire. Sending an army might not be a good idea.”

“Are you suggesting I need to keep a blind eye to it?” Jessamine sounded offended. “If Free Morley won, we would lose Morley. I won’t let it happen!”

Daud clenched his jaw then closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and counted from five to one. He wondered if finding the empress’ good intention annoying counted as treason or not.

“I have an idea, Your Majesty, one that I’m sure will solve this problem without attracting any unwanted attention.” Daud claimed. “I have my men in Wynnedown, get them to meet King Turlough and ask for his cooperation. All I need is a letter from you to King Turlough and I promise you I’ll bring down Free Morley in no time.”

“And how exactly will you do that?”

“We’ll find where Free Morley is hiding and eliminate their leader.”

“Eliminate.” She pondered on that word for a moment. “Are you talking about assassination?”

“A threat is a threat, Your Majesty.” A small satisfaction grew in his chest when he saw Jessamine’s scorn. She didn’t like it when her words were used against her. “My team in Wynnedown is ready to hunt them down. I just need you to authorize this operation and I promise you, Free Morley will be crushed before the end of this month.”

Jessamine looked like she wanted to argue, but stopped when Corvo put his large hand on her shoulder. She turned to Corvo, meeting his dark eyes with sulky stare. For a moment they exchanged meaningful gaze. Daud almost felt like an intruder. Almost.

“I call for a Privy Council meeting,” Jessamine announced, voice stern like a steel. “This is not something that can be discussed with just the two of us, Lord Spymaster. We’ll need advice from the other council member. We also need to coordinate with both the City Watch and the Navy to prepare ourselves from Free Morley. Do you agree with me, Lord Daud?”

Daud refrained from raising any objection. Jessamine’s sharp glare held a promise of unthinkable reprimand if he dared to defy her. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent.” She offered him a small winning smile. “You’re a member of the Privy Council, what time do you suggest we should have this meeting? One sounds good to you?”

“One is perfect, Your Majesty.”

“Alright, tomorrow at one o’clock,” Jessamine concluded. “Is there anything else you want to discuss, Lord Spymaster?”

“That’s enough, Your Majesty.”

“Then I’ll have your boat prepared at the waterlock system. See you tomorrow, Lord Daud.”

Daud nodded his head. “See you tomorrow, Your Majesty. Lord Protector.”

Daud turned on his heels, not waiting until Jessamine or Corvo to return his courtesy. He heard Jessamine got up as well and – based on the sound of her heels - went to stand by a window. When Daud turned back to take a quick glance at the empress, he saw Corvo was standing beside her. He had his arms on the Empress’ shoulder. He was trying to comfort her. There was a gleam of determination in Corvo’s eyes when he muttered something to her ears. A promise to guard her with his life, maybe. Whatever Corvo was whispering to her, Daud could see it worked. Jessamine leaned to Corvo and rested her head on his shoulder. Corvo kissed her forehead and embraced her.

She was lucky to have Corvo by her side.

Daud made a little detour to the courtyard lower plaza before he headed to his boat. It wasn't the prettiest spot in the courtyard. It was dark and lack of any beautiful vegetation the gardener planted in the main courtyard, there were only dead trees here. It also faced directly to Coldridge prison which made it even less pretty. Despite all that, Daud liked this place. It was the perfect for him to smoke.

He lighted his cigarettes and leaned to the parapet. He let his mind wander as the nicotine buzzed pleasantly in his system. He didn't know how many minutes had passed when he caught the sound of someone approaching him from behind.

It was Corvo. How very surprising.

"I knew I can find you brooding down here," he said.

"I'm not brooding."

"Yes, you are." Corvo took the place beside Daud.

They fell into comfortable silence for a while with only the gentle sound of waves and wind to accompany them.

"How's Jessamine?" Daud asked to break the silence.

"A bit shaken but fine."

Another silence followed.

"Do you really think they will come here to kill her?" Corvo finally asked. He sounded worried.

When Daud turned his gaze to the other man, he found the stoic mask Corvo wore earlier was replaced by barely concerned fear and vulnerability. A nod from Daud was all it took to break the dam. Corvo slumped forward on the parapet, head bowed down and shoulders sagged in defeat. It was rare to see Corvo break.

"Don't worry. We'll get them before they arrive at Dunwall," Daud said.

"I know. It's just-" Corvo stopped. He raised his eyes to the starless sky above them. "I don't know what I would do without her, Daud. And Emily… She’s too young to lose her mother."

There were many types of fear; fear of pain, fear of death, fear of uncertainty, and many more. One of the most terrifying thing was the fear of loss. Losing someone dear and was helpless to prevent it. The anticipation and the paranoia could crush the strongest man in this world.

“Corvo, listen to me.” Daud locked his gaze with Corvo. “I promise no harm will come upon Jessamine and Emily. I’ll do anything to keep them safe.”

The fear was still there in Corvo’s eyes but at least a small flicker of hope was also there. A smile came to Corvo’s lips as tension left his broad shoulder. “Thank you, Daud.”

Daud returned to stare at the river below. He took a drag of his cigarette, listened to the crackling fire, and then huffed out a puff of white smoke into the air.

“I know I can always depend on you,” Corvo suddenly said. “Back when we were boys, you were there when my father passed away.”

Daud remembered it. News travelled fast in Batista District like a swept of dust. He knew about the accident that took Corvo’s father from his mother, who knew from her customer in her herb store, who knew from her husband, who overheard some Grand Guards talking as they passed him by. He remembered running to the Attanos’ apartment after that and found Beatrici wrapping her arms around her crying mother. When he asked for Corvo, she told him Corvo ran away and she had no time to find him. It took the whole day for Daud to find Corvo in Upper Aventa District, hiding up in a tree.

“I still felt guilty for what I said that day,” Corvo continued. “I was… insensitive.”

Little Corvo told him he hated his father for dying in a stupid lumber accident and left him without a father. He finally stopped bitching about his father when Daud told him he never knew who his father because his father was a bastard who used his mother for his own pleasure then left her afterwards. Corvo apologized to Daud and then they went back to Batista District.

“You were an idiot,” Daud corrected him.

That earned him a chuckle. “Yeah, I was. I felt so betrayed when you told me you were going to Dunwall. It wasn’t long after your mother died, was it?”

“Yes, I remember that day.” He was sixteen and Corvo was fourteen. One was still a teenager and one was barely an adult. Corvo was crying, begging him to take him to Dunwall too. Daud didn’t want to hear him and left young boy alone. “You were crying.”

Corvo frowned. “I didn’t cry.”

“Yes, you did.” It was Daud’s turn to smirk. “Do you think I’ll forget the rare moment where Royal Protector Corvo Attano cried like a little girl?”

Corvo grumbled to himself. “I was trying to be sincere and you just ruined it.”

Daud chuckled lightly at Corvo’s complain. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry. I know what you were going to say.”

“You do?” Corvo raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Something along the line ‘I thought we wouldn’t see each other again and I’m glad we met again’.”

Corvo opened his mouth but he didn’t say anything. Whatever he was planning to say was gone. He closed his mouth. His cheeks grew pink with embarrassment. “Forget it.”

Daud laughed at Corvo's pathetic scorn. "This is the part where you confess your undying love for me."

"Fuck you," Corvo said with a glare which only made him laugh even harder.

They fell into another silence. Daud took another long drag and blew smoke from his lips.

"I'm glad we meet again," Daud said. "I was so proud of you. You’ve done it all by yourself, Corvo. I didn’t help you to win Blade of Verbena. Duke Theodanis sent you because of your skill. Jessamine chose you to be her Royal Protector. You’re more than capable to protect yourself but remember this. I got your back. Don't ever hesitate to ask for my help."

Corvo was stunned. He bowed his head and breathed a sigh. When he raised his gaze to Daud, there was a sly smirk on his face.

"Is this the part where you confess your undying love for me?"

Daud threw his cigarette at Corvo’s smug face.

***

Daud arrived at his small apartment in Riverside district around ten. He could afford more luxurious apartments with his stipend. He could even buy a small manor in Estate District. While Riverside was a better residential district compared to other districts in Dunwall and it had a nice view of Wrenhaven, it wasn’t as prestigious as Estate District. Martin asked him once why he decided to move in mid class residential district that didn’t suit a man of his status. He always said he preferred to live near the Lighthouse. In truth, he just couldn’t stand the idea of living in a big house by himself, surrounded by servants, and trapped in pompous society the Estate District offered. His humble upbringing forbade him to do that. Even hearing someone called him ‘Lord Daud’ unnerved him. Here in this middle class district, he was just a nameless blue collar. His neighbors didn’t know who he was. He left his Royal Spymaster overcoat in the Lighthouse and covered his clothes with heavy long coat.

Much to his surprise, there was an unmarked white envelope waiting for him inside his apartment.

Daud’s mind quickly assessed the situation. The envelope was found near the door. Someone must slip it through the narrow gap beneath the door. Only a handful of people knew where he lived but who would send him an anonymous letter in the middle of the nig-

Oh.

Daud quickly grabbed it. A familiar scent caught his nostril when he brought it to his eyes for closer inspection. Warm wooden fragrance with faint hint of exotic spice from Cullero. His lips formed a fond smile on their own as he brought it to his desk and read it.

> _How unfortunate for you to miss dinner. I have my cook make us a dish with authentic Karnaca blood sausages. I recall you like blood sausage from Karnaca. The Abbey just received a generous amount of blood sausage from Karnaca’s abbey. I have meant it to be a surprise for you, but seeing you're ruining the surprise by not coming, I'll just eat it alone. Shame. It's very delicious._
> 
> _But you must do your duty. You have an empire to protect._
> 
> _See you tomorrow._
> 
>   _PS: Don't forget to sleep._  
> 

His gut sank with mild dread. Martin was angry. It was clear in how deep his stroke was. Fucking bastard. It wasn’t like Daud wanted to cancel their dinner on purpose.

His eyes stopped at the post script. He looked at it over and over again. The strokes were less forceful in those words. He traced the words with his gloved finger, feeling his heart swelled a little by the genuine concern written there by Martin’s own hand. He brought the letter back to his nose and inhaled the scent of Martin's cologne. It was so intoxicating and it smelled like that Void damned bastard. 

Then he took his lighter from his pocket and burned the letter.

He watched the fire ate the letter inch by inch in silence. A part of him - the sentimental part he didn't wish to recognize - longed to keep every correspondence he shared with Martin. The rest of him - the calculating Spymaster - knew it was dangerous. This was a secret that could ruin him and Martin. They couldn't afford to get caught and thus he established this rule with Martin, to keep their secret safe.

He swept the ashes to the nearest bin and headed for his bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Daud arrived at Dunwall Tower thirty minutes before the meeting. He disembarked from his boat and made his way through the courtyard. Unlike last night, the courtyard was bursting with visitors. Daud immediately scanned around his vicinity for any suspicious individual, a habit he acquired from being a spy for twenty four years. In a line of work where one could get killed by simply turning his back to the wrong person, being constantly suspicious of new people was something Daud encouraged to his recruits.

There were ten people gather in the courtyard; all were nobles judging from their clothes. Most of these anxious faces were regulars to Daud’s eyes; some like the young woman and the older gentleman standing next to a large vase were new. Their strange behavior was enough to raise Daud’s suspicion, but their blatant show of anxiety was an indicator that it was their first time in Dunwall Tower and they were probably waiting to meet the empress. People who were up to no good usually tried too hard to be unnoticeable.

"Good day, Lord Daud." A smooth male's voice came from behind them. 

Daud's step came into a halt. When he turned around, he was greeted by High Overseer Martin's snake like smile. The man’s appearance was so as sharp as usual, from his immaculate slick hair to his shiny polished black boots, and finally his red high overseer coat that was pressed into perfection, no crease or stained spotted. There was a subtle swagger in his steps as he drew closer and closer to Daud. 

"Martin," Daud greeted with a nod. 

Martin’s dark eyes swiped him from head to toe. "Let me guess. You haven’t slept."

"I slept," Daud lied. 

"Sleeping during the boat ride doesn't count.” Martin scoffed at him before Daud could rebuke. “Don’t try to deny it, my lord. You’re a shitty liar when you’re tired." 

Daud rolled his eyes. Martin knew he didn’t like to be called ‘my lord’ but he still did just to annoy him. “Should we go to the Council Chamber now?”

Martin casted him a smile. “Lead the way, my lord.”

They didn’t talk during their walk to the Privy Council chamber; Martin merely shrugged him off or sneered when Daud tried to make a small talk. After the fourth failed attempt at small talk, he concluded that Martin was still angry at him. Unbelievable. He wondered why he was in a relationship with such a petty jerk like Martin. 

“Are you angry?” Daud decided to confront him with exasperation laced in his voice. He usually preferred avoiding a heart to heart conversation but he had no energy to deal with angry Martin and his passive aggressiveness during the Privy Council meeting. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Martin said and bolted to the staircase to the Tower rooftop.

Fucking bastard!

Angry and annoyed, Daud chased Martin and grabbed his arm. Martin stopped climbing the stairs and raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed but mildly irritated.

“Don’t play a game with me, Martin. I know what you’re trying to do here,” Daud said. “You’re angry with me because of our canceled... plan.” Daud was sure no one could overhear them in this staircase but it couldn’t hurt to be careful. “So now you’re giving me the cold shoulder to punish me.”

Martin snorted. “It’s funny how you assume I’m angry over a spilled milk. Maybe I just don’t want to talk to you. You’re not the most interesting person in the world, Daud. I thought you would’ve figured that out by now.” 

Martin and his damned silver tongue, trust Martin to open up an old wound like that. “No, that’s not the case,” Daud climbed the steps so they were now eye to eye. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

“There again, the assumption.” Martin canted his head to the right. “Now tell me, what is it I’m supposed to be doing?” His dark eyes were prying right at Daud, unsettling him.

“You’re trying to guilt-trip me, making me uncomfortable so I’ll come to you and ask for your forgiveness,” Daud guessed. “Guess what, Martin, I won’t apologize. It’s not my fault and you can put the blame on me.”

“Interesting guess but it’s just a guess nonetheless.” The corner of Martin’s lips tugged. “Have you considered that I’m just trying to rile you because I like to play with you?”

Daud’s jaw dropped, shocked and confused. “What?”

“You’re so easy to manipulate, don’t you know it Daud?” Martin’s fingers came to his cheek. The leather glove was cold against his cheek when Martin swiped his forefinger over his cheekbone.

“What?!” Anger took over. He was ready to leap but when Martin’s finger trailed down to his lips, he was petrified.

Before Daud could rebuke, Martin rested his hand on Daud’s chest and pushed him to the wall. Daud didn’t have the chance to fight back before Martin crushed his lips against his.

Daud sighed and parted his lips when he felt the tip of his Martin’s tongue probing gently, asking permission. He was answered by a muffled moan and hands grabbing his biceps instead of his coat. He closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the way Martin’s tongue dancing with his. Kissing Martin was pleasant, enjoyable. Martin was always mindful, never too intrusive, never too forceful. Daud had come to enjoy it after all these years.

Martin smiled once they parted. “You’re forgiven by the way,” he said.

“If you want a kiss you could just ask you asshole!” Daud protested.

“I don’t ask, Daud.” Martin’s smile widened. “I just take.”

Martin climbed the stairs and left Daud alone. Daud leaned back to the wall and tried to resist the urge to sink down and bang his head to the wall. He brought his hand to his lips instead, feeling burning sensation left by Martin’s slightly chapped lips. Damn. His cheeks were starting to feel uncomfortably warm.

“Good day, Lord Daud,” a voice greeted him from below the staircase. Daud turned his head and watched Geoff Curnow climbing up the stairs. “You look a bit feverish. Are you alright?”

“’m fine,” Daud told him. 

Curnow still looked unsure but he didn’t say anything. He just stared at Daud like he wanted to find the answer by a sheer power of observation. It was a feat Daud was sure Curnow could accomplish, he was a perceptive man. There was a reason why Daud suggested him to Jessamine to be the Commander of the City Watch when the position was vacant. Honest and hardworking, he was like a bright and shiny gem found in a pig pen that was the Gristol City Watch. Curnow had proven himself as a capable counselor by going toe to toe with General Tobias and Admiral Havelock in heated argument. 

“I’m fine, honestly,” Daud reassured him. “Let’s go to the meeting. We don’t want to be late.”

The Privy Council chamber was located at the top of Dunwall Tower, on the right side of the throne room more precisely. It was a large room, too large and too ornamented to host ten people and the empress who spent hours and hours arguing around a long polished mahogany table. It wasn’t an honor given by the empress to show her profound trust on their skill. No, it was nothing more than a burden, an obligation that came from their respectable post. Daud, as the Royal Spymaster, was required to offer his counsel to the empress and swear the oath of secrecy never to breathe a word about anything discussed within the chamber. There gone his desire never to meddle with politic. 

Daud and Curnow were not the first members to arrive in the chamber but they also were not the last to arrive. Martin had occupied his designated chair while two other counselor were chatting with each other from their own chairs. They all turned their heads to Daud and Curnow and greeted them with polite smiles.

“Ah Lord Spymaster, Commander Curnow. Glad to see you,” said Frederik Russell. “Sokolov, Lord Carmichael, and General Tobias can’t make it to the meeting so it’ll just be the seven of us today.”

Seated on the nearest chair to the empress was Frederik Russell, the High Judge of Gristol High Court and the most senior counselor in the room. He had served the crown since the reign of Euhorn Kaldwin and continued to do so even in his late fifties. Tall and lanky, he walked with a limp and his trademark bejeweled cane, which never left his side. His greyish brown hair and thick beard gave an illusion of a frail old man, but he was a fearsome judge that held the law above anything else. His experience and seniority made him the de facto leader of the council. 

“I’ve never seen Sokolov attending the meeting,” Curnow commented.

“Sokolov hasn’t attended a meeting since his appointment in 1822,” said Ezekiel Ashcroft, the Royal Ambassador. His double chin was bobbing up and down as he laughed at Curnow’s scandalized face. 

Ashcroft used to be thin and fit when he was younger but ever since he got married, he gained faster than a farm pig. With his thinning black hair, round black eyes, and curled mustache, he looked like a clown rather than a diplomat. His drastic change in appearance didn’t mean he had lost the smile that could win any negotiations he was sent to in the name of the crown. Beneath those layers of fat, he still had his charm.

“Sokolov had no commitment to the council,” Russell said, “he’s a busy man after all. Being a painter, philosopher, and Royal Physician surely takes so much time. I think it’s better for him to be absent from our meeting. We discuss many sensitive and confidential matters in this chamber. Can’t afford him to leak it to his patrons.”

“So we can skip council meeting,” Curnow concluded as he sat down on his seat – the farthest from the empress. “Glad to hear that.”

“You can but of course we advise you against it,” Ashcroft replied. “There’s a quorum for our meeting, isn’t it Lord Justice?”

“At least five person must be present in the meeting,” Russell said. “We can always count on Sokolov for not coming so you better keep it in mind, Commander.”

“Duly noted, Lord Justice.”

Daud took the seat between Curnow and Ashcroft. He ignored the Royal Ambassador’s attempt to make a small talk in order to keep his eyes on Martin who sat across him and just a little bit to the left. Martin was doing nothing in particular, just observing at Russell to occupy his time. As if he knew he was being watched, Martin turned to Daud. His dark brown meet Daud’s grey ones. Daud narrowed his eyes, curious at what Martin was going to do.

Then Martin winked at him.

Daud would kill that fucking bastard.

The next one to arrive was Farley Havelock. He was a big man with broad shoulders and muscled arms. A true military man with more than two decades of service to Gristol naval fleet. He had a sense of righteous inside him but he was also known from being too ambitious. He was unmarried nor did he keep a mistress despite his age and respectable career. One could argue Havelock was married to his job but Daud could see Havelock wasn’t the type of man who would let anything hinder his step. He probably saw family as a hinder.

“Good day, gentlemen.” Havelock swiped his gaze across the chamber and stopped at the empty seat beside Martin. “I heard Tobias can’t make it. I guess it’s true.”

“Your guess is right, Admiral,” Russell replied.

“Then I’ll do my best to give Her Majesty a solid advice on our military power.” It was peculiar to see Havelock sitting between two empty seats especially with his size.

“How’s your pub going, Havelock?” Ashcroft inquired. “Hound Pits Pub, isn’t it? You bought it from its previous owner who went bankrupt?”

Havelock’s face beamed. “It’s going so well! I’ve renovated most of the rooms and ordered the finest liquor I can get. You are all welcome to come there and enjoy an evening of entertainment.”

“It’s a great retirement plan,” Ashcroft applauded. “We all should have a retirement plan like Admiral Havelock. For instance, I want to write a book once I retire. I still have no clue what I’m going to write about but it’s the only thing I want to do.”

“That sounds lovely, Lord Ambassador” Martin suddenly commented. “Lord Spymaster, what would you do once you retire?” Daud didn’t miss the playful glee in Martin’s voice.

“I haven’t thought about it that much,” Daud answered. He doubted he would live long enough to see retirement. “Moving back to Serkonos, perhaps… Maybe buy a vineyard.”

Martin was trying so hard to keep a straight face. The corner of his lips quivered with mirth before he covered 

“I’ve never thought you’re interested in that sort of thing, Lord Daud,” Ashcroft said, delighted. “If you really want to grow grapes, I suggest you go to Cullero. The weather there is perfect for grapes.”

"I see you've started the meeting without me." 

All counselors got up on their feet when Empress Jessamine Kaldwin entered the room with her Royal Protector trailing behind her like her frightening shadow. Jessamine stopped at her seat at the head of the table while Corvo took his seat on Ashcroft’s right side. After the empress sat down, they were finally permitted to sit down as well.

“Gentlemen,” Jessamine began, “you might be wondering why I suddenly summoned you today. I can only give you one explanation: we are in danger. We are facing another Morley Insurrection that is threatening the unity of our great empire and must stop it before it’s too late.”

A collective of short gasps filled the room. Daud could see fear etched in everybody’s face. Even Havelock looked fazed. 

“My Lord Spymaster,” Jessamine addressed him, “will you be so kind and tell us about this dire situation?”

All eyes turned to him in an instant; their gazes were hot and burning. Daud took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he began.

He started from the beginning, from the time when Free Morley first made appearance in secluded café one year ago. He told them about the shift from being pacifist to become an anarchist group. A series of shocked gasps and low mumbles of disbelief filled the room as Daud divulged the story of what happened in Alba. By the time he was near the end, he saw the same worry and horror he saw last night in Jessamine and Corvo reflected in everybody's eyes. Russell was grim. Ashcroft was shaken. Curnow was trying to rationalize the whole thing. Havelock looked like he was planning a counter attack in his head. And Martin... Martin was unnaturally silent. 

“Oh stars,” murmured Ashcroft, sweating and aghast. “What of Lady Winters? She’s still there in Wynnedown to negotiate a trade with King Turlough.”

“Lady Martha Winters?” Daud guessed. He didn’t really remember the name of all Ashcroft’s underlings but he was sure there was only two ladies and one of them was Winters. 

“Yes, Lady Winters. She went to Wynnedown five months ago. The last letter I received from here is dated 12th day of Month of Nets. If Free Morley was born from their hatred towards Gristol, doesn’t it make her a target? They’ve already been attacking Gristolian business, surely they will attack her as well.”

“The date was before Free Morley waged an open war with the king.” Daud took his time to think about his next words. “Lady Winters is a guest to the king so she should be living in the palace during her stay. The Royal Palace has been sealed off and heavily guarded by City Guard. The king himself hasn’t made an appearance since the attack started. We can safely assume she’s hiding with the king.”

“Oh, Lord Spymaster, I hope you’re right,” Ashcroft mumbled. “Oh poor Martha. She didn’t want to go to Wynnedown and I made her to do it.”

Ashcroft continued rambling about Lady Winters in hushed tone. Daud decided it was time to continue while adding ‘find out where the fuck Lady Winters is’ to his bucket list of order to his Wynnedown agents.

“I have strong belief Free Morley is working with Crimson Waters so they could sail from Alba to Artenton and then they will continue to Dunwall with a carriage. Crimson Waters uses this method to sneak things from Dunwall to Alba. I’ve dispatched a team to Artenton last night. Their order is to capture all Free Morley agents and brings them to ORS for questioning.”

“And if you were too late?” Havelock asked him. “They could have arrived at Artenton as we speak right now and your agents are barely out from Dunwall’s border.”

“In that case, Admiral, let’s just hope our agents will cross their path with Free Morley. It’ll save us the time and energy.”

Havelock gave him a frown but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll station more men at every city gates,” suggested Curnow. “Double the patrol around Tower District. Enforce curfew to minimize the chance for Free Morley to blend in the crowd and go to the Tower. River patrol around the Tower will be doubled as well should they decide to sneak into the Tower District from the Tower District Port.”

“That’s a brilliant plan, Commander Curnow,” Jessamine said, “but I’m not sure about the curfew. Would it be so effective to restrict people’s activity within the Tower District? People work until late hour here. Some of them are paid hourly. Dunwall Courier operated twenty four hours a day to bring the most reliable news to every Dunwall citizen. I can’t deny them their right to make a living, Commander. I won’t allow that.”

Curnow’s eyebrows twitched but overall he managed to keep a calm face. “As you wish, Your Majesty. I’ll see to it right after this meeting is finished.”

“If Free Morley was indeed on their way to Dunwall,” Russell said, “I have big concern with the people in New Mercantile. They are the descendants of Morleyan settlers during the famine. And if they were to come from Artenton - from the north – shouldn’t New Mercantile be the first district they found before they set foot in Dunwall?”

“Lord Justice is right,” Havelock remarked, “Free Morley can hide in that district. There might be people who are willing to house them in their home.”

“I’ve already sent a team to swipe New Mercantile,” Daud told them. “If they found someone who conspires with Free Morley, they’d be brought to Kingsparrow for a more thorough questioning.”

“They should be prosecuted for treason, Lord Spymaster,” Russell reminded him. “It’ a crime that is punishable by death.”

“Dead man can’t talk, Lord Justice. After I’ve finished with interrogation, I’ll hand them to you. Or Commander Curnow, take your pick.”

Curnow shrugged. “As long as you don’t send them to The Void yourself, I don’t mind.” 

The empress seemed satisfied with the discussion. “Now gentlemen, I’d like to discuss about the threat in Wynnedown. As you can see, we can’t just sit here and let Fire Morley rampage and burn down the city. We have no choice but to interfere. It is our responsibility to protect the unity of our empire.”

“You’re right, Your Majesty,” agreed Havelock, “if they want war, we can give them war. Morley hasn’t recovered from their failed insurrection and the famine. Their naval fleet’s strength is way below ours and their army isn’t that strong either. If we sent our army to Wynnedown, I’m sure we can eradicate Free Morley in no time and ensure the safety and the unity of the empire.”

“Sending the army is a bold move, Admiral,” Ashcroft commented. “Our relationship with Morley has been… strained since the end of the insurrection. While not every Morleyan hates the crown, I can safely say they don’t hold much love to us either. Do you know how the majority of Morleyan see us, gentlemen? Invaders. Didn’t we strip their beloved King Julian from his throne and executed him and his descendants for his treason? Didn’t we appoint a new king in his place, someone who was considered as Emperor Euhorn’s lap dog to the Morleyans? There are people out there in Morley who believe the reign of Callaghan Dynasty is nothing than just a puppet monarchy and I believe Free Morley is holding to that notion. If we sent an army there, it would only sow more hatred towards the crown. I sent Lady Winters to mend the fragile relationship between Dunwall and Wynnedown. You can’t imagine the diplomatic nightmare that would follow if we send an army to Wynnedown, Grand Admiral. You simply can’t.”

“I have a solution for that. A far subtler method and much more effective,” Daud offered. “I have agents in Wynnedown, special mission specialists. I can send them to hunt Free Morley down, eliminate all Free Morley’s key persons. Without any leader, Free Morley will crumble and we can let them destroy themselves.”

“You want to kill Free Morley’s leaders,” Russell concluded. “My Lord Spymaster, they must answer for their crime.”

“Yes, by being dead,” Daud replied curtly.

“You’re mistaking death by assassination as justice. Justice is not just about punishing those who do harm to others but it’s also for the victims, to give them a consolation for what they have lost. The law, my good Lord Spymaster, is the tool to enforce justice. To stare at the eyes of the law and tremble from the weight of their crime. People find their conscience when they’re helpless and alone. You’d be surprise what the people who are facing execution think while they’re waiting for their death.”

“I can think of a few ideas,” Daud argued, “an escape plan for an example.”

At that the High Judge only gave him a small condescending smile. “And that’s the difference between us. You bend the law and I mend it.”

“Someone must get their hands dirty to keep the empire running, Lord Justice.”

Tension rose as they locked eyes with each other. Daud’s burning grey eyes met Russell’s calm green eyes. They looked almost impassive, devoid of any emotions, terrifying in all their blankness. Daud always wondered if it was the reason why Russell was a fearsome judge. He was very hard to read.

“Have you two finished arguing about law and justice?” Jessamine asked. “If you have then let us continue. What sort of action we should take to deal with Free Morley. Should we send an army? Should we send a group of assassins? Other ideas?”

“I don’t agree completely with this whole assassination thing, but I think sending ORS agents is better, Your Majesty,” Curnow offered his counsel. “We have wasted enough time to let Free Morley grow. Lord Spymaster’s agents are already in Wynnedown. They can act immediately. They can stop this before it becomes too big to handle.”

“If people start to die, wouldn’t it raise questions among the citizen?” Havelock directed the question to Ashcroft.

“I can make people disappear without a trace too if you don’t want any bodies,” Daud suggested.

Havelock gave him a look. “That doesn’t sound any better, Lord Spymaster.”

“Well-” Ashcroft took a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. “There are two possible outcomes. First, people think that the king is killing his people to silence them. Second, people think that the empress is sending her assassin to kill her people to silence them. People might think that Free Morley is right because why bother to silence them all if what they say is wrong?”

“Thus by killing them we elevate them into martyrdom,” Russell commented.

“And there’s a possibility King Turlough will finally know we have spies in his land and he will start asking question to Lady Winters,” Ashcroft continued.

“We cannot afford to stall much longer! We have to act now!” Daud insisted. This pointless talking drove him mad. Emperor Euhorn would not bat his eyes when he ordered assassination and he was known for being compassionate.

“Yes, we have to move now. Grand Feast is coming soon.”

All eyes turned to Martin who had been quite through the debates. Martin’s eyes were closed but Daud could see his gears were turning inside his head. The High Overseer was in the Inner Council to offer spiritual guidance and wisdom. While words like 'spiritual' and 'wisdom' weren't something Daud would use to describe Martin, that bastard always knew what he was talking about. He was from Morley and he was raised in Wynnedown. He knew the ground so well, knew the people and the culture. What Martin was going to say would be useful.

"Grand Feast Day," Martin continued, "is when Morleyans gather on the last day of Month of Wind to welcome the cold and dark days of winter. We throw grand feast for one nightlong. We eat, sing, and dance. The Abbey holds a service to pray for the strength to get through the harsh winter. Isn’t it why Lady Winters stays in Wynnedown for so long, Lord Ambassador? To be the first Dunwall diplomat who do that?”

Ashcroft nodded his head. “Yes, you’re right, High Overseer.”

"In Wynnedown, the royal family usually holds a feast in the King's Plaza which is located at the heart of Royal District. Everyone is invited; rich, poor, noble, urchin. It's the only time a gang member can drink with a guard. There's an unspoken truce between them just for one night. Those who dare to break it will be punished. Severely."

“Is that really possible?” Curnow sounded aghast, offended even. Having spent all of his adult life fighting the worst the street life could offer; it was very understandable why Curnow doubted it.

“It is, Commander, as unlikely as it might sound. Grand Feast day is a sacred thing for Morleyans. They look past their dispute and dine together. Everyone is civil and everyone is happy.” Martin rubbed his hand over his cheek, deep in thought. Then he turned to Daud. “You said they hired criminal gangs as well?”

Daud nodded his head. “Three gangs have been confirmed as a part of Free Morley. Silver Cleavers, Ivory Oars, and Green Vipers.” Daud saw Martin’s eyes widened for only a brief moment. No one else seemed to notice so he continued, “Ivory Oars runs the smuggling ring in the port. Silver Cleavers runs the Lower Gorgom District. Green Vipers is a group of highwaymen. They operate in the road between Wynnedown and Freeport.”

“The Black Eyes? They’re still in the Central?” Martin asked again.

“Yes, they’re still running the Central. There’s no news about the Eyes joining Free Morley.”

“The Central?” Jessamine asked, finally opening her mouth. “What’s the Central?”

Martin’s shoulder gave a subtle jerk. He and Daud went silent and exchanged a wary glance. Both men did not realize the harmless yet dangerous slip of tongue.

“It’s a term common men used for Mercantile District – the one in Wynnedown, not the New Mercantile in Dunwall - and its surrounding residential districts.” The explanation rolled effortlessly from Martin’s mouth. 

The Empress seemed satisfied with the explanation and so did the rest of the council. Only Daud and Martin knew it wasn’t completely true.

“Back to the Grand Feast,” Martin said. He rubbed his cheek again, thinking. “Free Morley will strike during Grand Feast in the Royal District. The Guard won’t capture any criminal gangs during that day so they’ll be free to roam the King’s Plaza. It’s the only perfect opportunity and I’m sure they wouldn’t waste it.”

"You claimed the Grand Feast is a sacred thing to Morleyans. If it's so sacred, then why do you think Free Morley will strike during the Grand Feast?" Russell interrupted. 

"Because it's the only time the king makes a public appearance." 

Low murmurs filled the chamber. Jessamine exchanged a wary glance with Corvo. Daud could only grit his teeth to prevent himself from cursing out lout. The implication was clear in Martin's statement, but no one seemed too stunned to acknowledge it. 

"Do you really think they will kill the king?" Jessamine finally asked the question no one seemed to be bold enough to ask. Trust the empress to ask the hardest question. Jessamine was bold if she needed to be. It was a trait Daud admired and loathed from her. 

"I did not say they’re going to kill the king,” Martin denied, “I was merely suggesting that they might do something during the Grand Feast because the king will be there. I’ve never said anything about regicide." 

All right, that was very anti-climactic.

"Well, I’m sorry, High Overseer, but the implication was pretty strong," Jessamine said. 

"What do you think they're going to do then?" Ashcroft asked.

"I can't say for sure." Martin rubbed his gloved hands over his cheek and down to his chin for the third time. It was starting to look annoying. "They could kill King Turlough and try to seize the government. But I can't see the benefit from killing the king. Unless they’re secretly hiding the next line of Kavanagh dynasty. Leaving the isle without any leader will only leads to more chaos." 

“Is there any surviving member of Kavanagh family?” Russell asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Martin replied. When all people turned a questioning stare to him, Martin said, “The Wynnedown Abbey has served the royal family even before Kavanagh dynasty. They have detailed record of every ruling dynasty family history. I’ve studied the record during my time in Wynnedown. Kavanagh dynasty ended with King Julian.”

“Did King Julian have any illegitimate children?”

“Even if they found King Julian’s bastard, it would be hard to prove their legitimacy. The Abbey doesn’t keep a track on royal bastards and there’s no surviving member of House Kavanagh who can vouch for them.”

“What if their main goal is to eradicate the monarchy and make Morley to be more like Tyvia? A people’s government.” Russell suggested.

“It’s only possible if they have enough support and man power, which clearly they’re lacking based on Lord Spymaster’s report,” Martin replied. “The only feasible thing Free Morley could do right now is forcing King Turlough to agree with them. Once they have the king, they could start the real move against Gristol.”

“Wait,” Curnow cut in, “if that’s their goal then why bother to come to Dunwall at all?”

Martin shut his mouth and rubbed his face again. “I’m not really sure why either, Commander.”

“It’s not a good enough answer, High Overseer,” Jessamine warned him.

“It doesn’t matter why. They’re coming to Dunwall and we need to prepare ourselves,” Havelock reminded them of the reason why they gathered. “We haven’t decided what to do with Free Morley.”

Jessamine turned her attention to the only counselor who hadn’t opened his mouth. “Lord Protector, what is your suggestion?”

Corvo raised an eyebrow and swiped his dark eyes across the room. He stopped at Daud and stared at him. Daud stared back, silently begging him to go with his plan. Jessamine would do anything Corvo say. He was sure of it.

“Your Majesty-” Corvo turned to Jessamine, “I think we should have Lord Spymaster’s agents working with Wynnedown’s City Guard.”

Daud bit back an outrageous growl and glared at Corvo. “It’s impossible, Lord Protector. I don’t have the authority to form a partnership with the City Guard. And by doing that, we’ll expose the existence of the crown’s spies in Wynnedown, something that I’d like to keep as a secret.”

“Lord Spymaster is right, Lord Protector,” Ashcroft said, “It will upset our diplomatic relationship if King Turlough knows we are spying on Morley.”

“I know, but consider this, Lord Ambassador. The City Guard has more men than Daud’s agents and Daud’s agents are more skillful than the Guards are. I can’t see why it won’t work. You’ve worked with City Watch before, haven’t you Daud?”

“City Watch usually solves crime faster when we’re working with the ORS,” Curnow said, “although their methods are questionable to say the least. Trap and disguise is not really our style.”

“Your lots are far too brash and lenient to learn our tradecraft,” Daud mumbled but he was sure Curnow heard it. He took his time to consider this option. That wasn’t a bad idea. “I have spies within the City Guard rank. I can use them to share our investigation with City Guards.”

Jessamine had a smile when she clapped her hands. “That’s a very good idea, gentlemen. Is there anything else we should discuss?”

“I also have one question,” Corvo then said. “What about the sewer? During the first insurrection, the Morleyans used sewer to navigate through Dunwall.”

Strangely enough, no one seemed to remember the sewer up until now. The topic never really crossed Daud’s mind before because he was too busy focusing his attention to Free Morley. Corvo probably had thought about that for a long time and waited for the right time to ask.

“That sounds plausible. All sewer systems in Dunwall are interconnected,” Curnow said. “They can find an access to the sewer from all over Dunwall.” 

Corvo nodded his head. “It’s possible to infiltrate the Tower from the sewer. There’s a sewer gate just across from here that can be accessed from anywhere in Dunwall as Lord Daud said. It’s not entirely impossible to cross the river by swimming.”

“That’s true.” Curnow drummed his fingers to the table. “I’ll station some men outside the sewer gate.”

“What about _inside_ the sewer, Commander?”

Curnow scoffed. His smile dropped when he realized how serious Corvo was with his question. “Lord Protector, I can’t order my men to stand on guard in a sewer.”

“You can but you won’t.” Corvo narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Have you been inside the Dunwall Sewer, Commander? There are plenty of rooms for criminals to hide. Plenty of rooms for Free Morley to slip and attack Her Majesty.”

“I can see your point, Lord Protector, but…” Curnow sounded unsure. “I don’t know where to begin.”

Corvo leaned back to his chair and thought. After that he said, “Fine. I’ll explore the sewer myself then I give my input to you.”

Daud shook his head and stifled a groan behind a hand. It was a bad idea.

“Do you really need to do that?” Jessamine asked, worried.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Even when I’m not here, there are still a lot of trained guards and ORS agents in the Tower to protect you.”

Jessamine still looked unsure. She wanted to say something but decided to go against it in the end.

“Lord Spymaster can accompany me.” Corvo turned to Daud.

_Lord Spymaster can do what?_

Daud gave Corvo an incredulous glare. Did Corvo lose his mind? Daud had many things to do in the Lighthouse. There was no time to check the sewer with Corvo. It didn’t sound so pleasing as well. It was the sewer. He dreaded to know what kind of filth and foul smelling things waiting for them down there.

“It’s decided then,” Jessamine suddenly said, “Lord Daud will accompany Lord Attano to explore the sewer.”

“But Your Majesty-“ Daud realized it was too late to protest when Jessamine gave him a pointed glare. Fucking perfect.

With nothing else to discuss, Jessamine dismissed the council and left the chamber. Daud immediately got up from his seat. Daud was practically running towards Jessamine and Corvo. Once he managed to catch up with them, he grabbed the bodyguard’s arms right on time and dragged the bodyguard forcefully to the farthest side of the Council Chamber, ignoring the loud protest that was coming from Jessamine. Daud didn’t care. The empress had to wait until Daud was finished with Corvo.

“Outsider’s hairy ass, Daud!” Corvo protested once they were far away from the empress’ earshot or any other council member. 

“I’m the one who should be screaming at you, Corvo,” Daud hissed. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Corvo smoothened his coat sleeve as if Daud had managed wrinkle that thick piece of clothing. Fuck you too, Corvo. “Jessamine won’t allow me to go alone.”

“Why? It’s your job to keep her safe not the other way around!” It took a moment before realization struck him. “Damn it, Corvo! This is way I was against your idiotic relationship!”

People did foolish thing when they were in love like the empress who wanted to keep her bodyguard from harm. It defeated the purpose of having a bodyguard in the first place.

Corvo looked horrified then casted his glance around him. “Outsider’s eyes! Lower your voice!”

Daud’s nostril flared with anger. How on the entire Empire of Isles could Corvo think Daud would let anybody overheard him? Daud let out a guttural growl when his head started to throb. Perfect. Corvo had been the cause of his headache for decades. Why would he stop being one now?

“Why me?” Daud finally asked. “Why can’t you take one of tower guards with you?”

“And leave Jessamine with less capable people to guard her?” Corvo asked back.

“Take the Watch with you then.”

“I don’t trust them to do their job properly.”

That was a good argument. “Point taken.” Daud grunted again then sighed. “Ok, I’ll go with you.”

“I know I can always count on you.” Corvo punched him on his bicep.

“You know, when I told you not to hesitate to ask for my help, I didn’t mean dragging me to literal shithole with you.”

Corvo had the gall to grin at him. Daud was starting to regret all the things he said to Corvo last night.

After they agreed on a time and date for their sewer escapade, Daud returned Corvo back to Jessamine after that. He literally shoved the man to Jessamine’s face then turned around and left without any explanation. He was afraid he would cause bodily harm to Corvo if he had to spend another minute with that bastard. 

He immediately headed to the courtyard lower plaza to have a smoke. Council Meeting always messed with his nerves. It was a small blessing the lower plaza was empty; no gawking nobles to pester him and no guards to bother him. Daud took his cigarette and lighted one for himself. He only managed to take two drag of his cigarette before someone came to snatch it from his lips.

What the fucking void?

Daud turned his head to the intruder who not only had a death wish but also sneaky enough to come to Daud without him noticing. He wasn’t really surprised when he saw Martin taking the spot beside him while plucking the stolen cigarette between his lips.

“You’re not supposed to smoke,” Daud chided Martin.

“I’m also not supposed to lay with men but I still do so cut the crap already,” Martin countered. He took a deep drag then blew a trail of white smoke. 

Grunting to himself, Daud took another cigarette and lighted it for himself. Then he turned around so he could have eyes on their surroundings. 

Even though it was a widely known secret that Daud and Martin were close allies, no one had figured the true nature of their relationship. Private conversation such as this one was seen as two men plotting together to take down their enemies. As long as Martin kept his hands to himself in public, they were safe.

“I thought you’ve gone back to Holger Square,” Daud said, breaking the silence.

“I need to smoke first.”

It explained everything. It wasn’t like he could buy a cigarette with that red coat of his without getting a raised eyebrow. Being the High Overseer sucked especially if you were someone with a vice like Martin.

“The slip of tongue back then,” Daud suddenly said, “it isn’t like you to do that.”

‘The Central’ was indeed a nickname for Mercantile District and its surrounding residential district but it wasn’t used by the low class, it was mostly was used by criminals. The Central was where the money circulated in Wynnedown. When there was money, there was profit. With many merchants cramped into one district, it was easier to hide black markets and any illegal transaction. It was also easier to get ‘protection fee’ from hapless merchants. Whoever ran the Central ran Wynnedown underworld. Daud knew it from Martin.

“What can I say? I got a bit nostalgic.” Martin snorted. “Glad to know my former colleagues have gone to politic.”

And there it was, Teague Martin’s most guarded secret. Before he was an overseer, he was the leader of Green Vipers. Sly Snake Martin, the infamous highwayman who terrorized the route between Wynnedown to Freeport. No one in Dunwall knew about Martin’s past except from Daud. He knew about it because he had the pleasure of meeting Sly Snake during his past mission in Morley.

“The Vipers joins Free Morley,” Daud reminded Martin.

“Yes, I know. I don’t know why though.” Martin’s scowl deepened as he took another drag. “There’s no profit for highwaymen in politic. Power shifts from one hand to others. Free Morley is going to be destroyed soon and the Vipers will be out on the road once again. A snake doesn’t belong in a city, Daud. It belongs in the wild.”

“Do you know why the criminal gang suddenly decide to go political?”

“Let me think.” Martin’s forehead creased as he thought. “Brenan from Cleavers harbors deep animosity towards Gristol and Dunwall. Her father was a butcher in one of Dunwall merchant’s whaling house – Harrington Whaling House I believe. Her father died in an accident and Harrington refused to take responsibility. Reddington from the Oars… He only cares for coins and will do anything for the right price so Free Morley probably pays them.”

“And you know this from?”

“You’ll be surprised to know what Wynnedown’s crime lords discuss when they meet.” Martin chuckled when he saw the puzzled look on Daud's face. “Gossip, the weapon to tackle your enemy without even making your hand dirty. Look where it leads me now.”

Martin often described Wynnedown’s underworlds as one big fucked up family filled with back stabbers, liars, and other shady individuals. They banded together instead of fighting over territory in order to protect each other from the City Watch, making the gangs in the Wynnedown nearly untouchable. Maybe that was the reason why Free Morley sought crime gangs’ aid; to protect them from the City Guard.

“Do you think it will disrupt the status quo? The Eyes are still holed up in the Central. From what I’ve gathered, the Eyes are like the boss because they run the Central.”

“Sure, they run the Central but they’re not the boss. They’re the ‘bank’. Need a loan? Go see Big Ma in the Central. She has friends in the right places and she has more coins than King Turlough.”

Daud raised a skeptic eyebrow. “Really?”

“It’s a hyperbole.” Martin rolled his eyes. “No one knew who Big Ma is. Rumor says she’s a noble woman. Some say she’s a member of the parliament. Others say she’s both. But I know she’s a very powerful woman and has connection everywhere. She can offer you protection from the Watch and the Abbey if you need it. For a price.”

“Let me guess, her price isn’t cheap.”

A small bitter smile appeared on Martin’s face. “Once you owe her something, you sign up for a lifetime debt. You can’t run away from her. Ivory Eyes is the biggest crime gangs in Wynnedown so it’s impossible to run away from her unless you’re dead or vanish into thin air.”

Daud sensed there was a history between Martin and this Big Ma.

“If she’s truly from a noble family or a member of parliament, it explains why the Eyes don’t get involved with Free Morley,” Daud said. “Big Ma’s interest clashes with Free Morley. They want to tear down Morley political power and sever Morley bilateral relationship with Gristol. Gristolian merchants would be forced to go home. With no support from Dunwall and merchants from Gristol, Morley economy will be in shambles. She would lose her position in the parliament.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

They went silent again. The sound of waves rolling to the cliff filled the space between them. It didn’t take long until they finished with their cigarette. Martin plucked his to the river while Daud crushed the bud with the heel of his boot.

“Time to head back to Holger Square,” Martin announced. “Thanks for the cigarette, Lord Spymaster.” He turned on his heels and ready to go. 

Daud’s hand reached out for Martin’s. He grabbed the other man by his wrist, preventing him from going any further. “Did you really study Morleyan royal king’s genealogy?”

“Of course I did. It’s a fundamental knowledge for an overseer in Wynnedown Abbey.”

“You’ve never been assigned to Wynnedown Abbey.”

Martin’s face grew tensed. He turned his gaze slightly to the left, refusing to meet Daud. Not long after that, those blue eyes were back. “I have my way.”

“It’s not very reassuring.” Daud scowled. “Martin, we rely on your knowledge of royal family’s line in order to guess what Free Morley’s next move is. I need to know whether the information you gave us earlier is credible.” 

Daud hated how little he knew about Martin’s transition from a highwayman to an overseer. He let the mystery slip from his fingers as much as it frustrated. Everyone had their own secrets and Martin deserved to keep this one secret he didn’t want to share with Daud. 

“I have read it. You have to trust me on this,”

Trust was a feeble thing. It was fragile and delicate like porcelain. It didn’t take much to destroy it and a man like Martin used trust to his own gain. He would crush it, twist it, and then discard it when he was done with it. Only a fool would trust a man like Martin, the High Overseer with dark mysterious past.

If that was the case, then Daud was a big fucking fool.

“Alright,” he finally said.

They didn’t say anything afterwards. They were just staring at each other. Daud caught something in Martin’s eyes. They had gone softer, filled with something affectionate, almost fond. The sight made his heart swell and his chest heavy. 

Daud released Martin’s wrist, effectively breaking the spell that had enthralled them both.

“Until next time, High Overseer.”

Martin nodded his head. “Lord Spymaster.”

Daud did not watch Martin go. He turned his back towards Martin and watched the waves instead. What the fuck was he thinking? It would do them no good if people caught them staring at each other like a lovelorn fools. Unbelievable. They have been together for how long? Six years? They should reach the stage where they were bored and tired with each other. Why did Daud keep making a fool of himself? He needed to stop this.

When Daud let his mind to quite, he brought his gloved fingers to his lips. He tried to recall the feeling of Martin’s lips against his own from their earlier kiss. The touch of those lips, confident but respectful, tender. Those chapped dry lips.

He froze when he caught himself smiling and quickly pulled his hand.

A big fucking fool indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

During his tenure as Chief of Special Operation, Daud created a new recruitment program called the Whaler Program. The program allowed people from outside of the Watch or military to become ORS agents. The idea came to him when he trained ORS new recruits and realized how hard it was to make them see the gray area of morality. There was no right or wrong in espionage world. Most of times the only way to accomplish a mission was by doing the most unspeakable things. Things like assassination, smuggling, forgery, or even using sex as a tool of blackmail weren't uncommon. He needed people who knew what it took to survive, to do bad things just to stay alive. He needed people like him. 

There were many talents that could be found outside of military barrack and City Watch fortress. He wanted orphans and street urchins, castaways and the aloof criminals. The rough hands of life had molded them into hardened weapons. Those pampered officers didn’t know how rage and despair could drive someone to kill in order to survive. A spy’s life was a dangerous one and he needed someone with high rate of survival in his ranks.

He knew he would get oppositions from many sides when he shared his idea to his division. Only a handful of people agreed with his point. Those who came from ‘respectable families’ - as was required to become a City Watch officer – were appalled. Somehow, the idea fell to Burrows’ ears and claimed that he felt ‘tainted’ by the mere idea of having uncouth urchins and thieves in Kingsparrow. There was no hope convincing close-minded people like Burrows so Daud brought the proposal right to Lord Spymaster Jerome Trevelyan, the man who recruited him and gave him the chance to become something more than just a street rat. 

To his own surprise, it didn’t take any effort to convince Trevelyan. The Spymaster immediately signed his proposal without asking any question. What shocked him the most was the smile he got from Trevelyan. That man never smiled. Most people believed he wasn’t capable of smiling.

“I picked you from the street of Karnaca when you were sixteen,” Trevelyan said, warm and proud. Like a father to his son, Trevelyan put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Whaler Program will work. You will make it work.”

And it did work. Daud worked his ass off to make it work. He had experiences as a trainer – he was one of the best instructor - but educating a petty thief was different than explaining a depth of honey trap mission to a noble born officer. Forging raw talent was harder than breaking someone’s moral ground. Not every recruit survived the program but those who did became one of ORS finest agents. Whaler Program was his legacy. Even though he had to pass the responsibility to Billie since he became the Royal Spymaster, it was still his. 

He was mildly confused when Carlo Parinno was so surprised to see him visiting the Whaler Program outdoor training ground.

“Sir.” The gangly man’s body went rigid as he straightened his back and kept his chin high. 

“At ease,” Daud told him. The tension didn’t leave Carlo’s shoulder. He was still as rigid as a stick. Daud raised an eyebrow at him. “I said at east, Carlo.”

“I’m at ease, sir,” Carlos said. His shoulder was stubbornly tensed.

Carlo Parinno was one of Whaler Program permanent instructors. He used to be a sharp shooter for Special Ops. An accident during a mission in Cullero forced him to get his left leg amputated from knee down. The hospital in Cullero got him an artificial leg made from steel rod and a steel plate for his foot. When ORS infirmary offered him to make a more comfortable and stylish looking leg for him, Carlo refused them politely, claiming that the one he had been using was ‘quite alright’. 

“You seem surprised,” Daud commented.

“Billie didn’t tell me you’re going to come, sir.”

“It’s called surprise inspection for a reason, Carlo.” He didn’t really have any plan to visit the training ground but he had some free times after his visit to RAD to test their newest dart variant. He was still wearing the wristbow glove on his left hand.

On the training ground, two pairs of recruits were practicing sword fight. The sound of their blades clashing with one another was ringing loudly in the open ground. It was a sunny day, a very rare occurrence in Dunwall especially with winter coming soon to their door. The sun hit one of the recruits’ blade in the right angle and was reflected right to Daud’s eyes. He hated sunny day sometimes.

“Rinaldo! Swing your sword like you really mean to kill Karl!” 

Carlo’s shouting snapped Daud back from his reverie. He fixed his eyes on the recruits-- two men and two women. The one that called Karl – just a boy judging from how young he looked - had the same face as the fair skinned girl with short black hair who was fighting a blonde woman with tanned skin. The one that was called Rinaldo had sun-tanned skin, wavy dark brown hair, dark eyes, another north Serkonan like Carlo.

“These are the ones that have made through the selection program?” Daud asked while keeping his eyes on the black haired girl. Her swing was a bit weak and her grip on her sword was too loose. Despite all that she could dodge her opponent strike flawlessly. Her footwork was excellent.

“We started with five recruits. The fifth boy tried to run so I shot him down. He was a good target practice.”

Whaler Program had a strict rule. You became either an agent or a corpse. There was no guarantee the failed recruits wouldn’t blurt ORS secret to any willing ears. That was why Daud only picked someone with no family connection; no one to miss, no one to cry, no one to wait for them to come home. Family ties were a burden during that tender year of training.

Apparently, Billie didn’t get the memo.

“Those two-“ Daud pointed to the siblings in question. “The twins.”

“Karla and Karl, no surname. They were picked by Billie in Dabokva. Said she saw them killing a child molester with a brick and a bottle of vodka and she got impressed.”

Daud frowned at the answer. “We don’t take twins or siblings or couples or friends. They form attachment. People do stupid things when they are attached to someone. If the brother didn’t make it, the sister would do anything to prevent you from killing him.”

“I wasn’t the one who recruit them, sir.”

Daud surpassed a sigh. “You could have reminded Billie about our general rules.”

“You’re implying I haven’t done that, sir.” There was a bit irritation in his tone. His posture remained unchanged, stiff like the steel rods in his artificial leg.

“Ok, you’ve reminded her,” Daud corrected himself. “And?”

“You’ve seen the result, sir.” He jerked his head towards the twins.

Billie and her legendary stubbornness. This was the woman who followed Daud when she was sixteen because she was mesmerized by Daud’s triple assassination skill. She would do thing she thought was right even though it defied the order. Sometimes she reminded him of himself when he was young.

“Call them in. I want to meet them,” Daud said.

Carlo did what he was told to. Soon the four recruits stood in line to meet the Royal Spymaster. Although it was the first time he met the recruits, he could see the spark of recognition in those recruits’ eyes. “I don’t think introduction is in order, sir.”

The blonde woman was standing in the far left of the line followed by Karla and her twin Karl then finally the one who was called Rinaldo. He started with the blonde.

“What’s your name?”

The blonde beamed when he addressed her. “Galia Fleet, sir,” she answered with her chest puffed and chin held high. High enthusiasm. Proud. Ambitious, judging from her stare. Another Billie. 

“Galia Fleet.” He paused. “Do you think you’re better than the girl beside you?”

His question roused the same set of emotion from them. Taken aback followed by confused and then settled by a bitter anger. He sensed rivalry between them.

“I do, sir,” Galia replied, sharp, precise. She was confident with her skill.

He saw Karla frowned in his peripheral vision.

“Why?”

“I’m stronger than her. I have advantage of being bigger than she is. I have longer arms and longer reach. I also have more experience which makes me more skilled than her.”

That was true. Karla looked like a small girl beside Galia. He could see the shape of her toned arms and legs through her clothes. Her fighting style was more refined than Karla's She swung her sword around a lot. She did some pirouette before she struck, a peculiar fighting style which Daud had seen before.

“Your fighting style… Is it Saggunto sword dance?”

“Yes, sir! My father used to teach sword dance before he was killed by the Guard.” There was obviously a story there but he had no interest to hear it. 

“Saggunto sword dance is an ancient sword fighting style.” Daud unsheathed his sword. “It’s a very sleek style that involves a lot of sword twirling and pirouettes.” 

He demonstrated one move, the whirl. He took a step forward and swung his sword. After that, he did pirouette after pirouette while continuously swinging his sword in every direction. The whirl was a very difficult technique. It had to be performed in a very fast pace or else it wouldn’t be effective. The move could be very disorientating for first timer. For someone who hadn’t performed it in a very long like him, the whirl was very exhausting.

“As you can see-“ Daud paused to take a deep breath. “As the name suggested, Saggunto sword dance is very flashy, flourish, graceful. Like a dance. Duke Theodanis of Serkonos sometimes invites sword dancer to his palace to entertain foreign dignitaries. It usually uses longer sword than ORS standard sword.”

Daud swirled his sword around, did a jump attack, and heavy swing followed by another pirouette and sword swirls. He almost lost his balance twice. His sword didn’t have the correct length and weight for sword dancing. He also hadn’t slept for two days which affected his stamina and balance therefore the sloppy performance. 

“It’s very beautiful to watch,” he said before he sheathed his sword. “But it’s not very effective in real life battle.”

Galia’s eyes widened in shock before they narrowed again in anger.

“The move leaves too many opening for your opponent to attack you. The moment you turn your back to them, they will shoot you with their gun.”

“I’ve been defending myself from the many dangerous men out there in Saggunto’s street with this style, sir. I can assure you it’s very effective,” Galia protested.

“Street fighting has no discipline. It relies heavily on gut instinct. Street brawlers only strike when they think they have a chance to land an attack. When they saw you swinging your sword around like a possessed witch, they became unsure and confused, that’s why you won. Experienced fighter like me and other ORS agents, we’re trained to see an opening. We’re trained to time our attack so when we do, it will deliver a fatal blow.

“Remember, as an ORS agent you’re not going to fight a mere street scum who don’t know how to fight. You’re going to face highly skilled fighters like the watch, overseers, or maybe another Fight like an ORS agents. You’re not here to learn sword dancing. In here, we fight with our sword and our brain. Do you get it, Galia?”

Galia bit her lower lip before she finally said, “Yes, sir.”

“You’re stronger and bigger than Karla, true, but she’s faster than you. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to parry your attack so she dodged them. Do you notice how she was keeping a distance from you?”

Galia gulped. “No, sir.”

Daud turned to Karla. The girl’s black eyes widened in surprise. “How old are you, girl?”

“I’m fifteen, sir,” she said with a surprisingly clear Dabokvan accent for a street urchin. No wonder she looked so young. Young and pretty. In another world, she could be the darling of the belle. What kind of cruelty that turned such a beautiful girl into this monstrosity? 

“Have you ever learned to fight with a sword before?”

“No, sir.”

Daud turned to Galia again. “Give her one year, she will beat you if you don’t want to learn.”

It was Karla’s turn to beam with pride. She mouthed a silent thank you while Galia bit her lower lip even harder. Her eyes filled with rage and disappointment. She needed to work harder if she wanted to impress him.

Daud moved to the Serkonan boy. “What’s your name?”

“Rinaldo Escobar, sir.” He was less confident than the two female recruits were. He hunched his back, shoulder dropped down, and head dipped until his chin met his chest.

“Look at me when you’re talking, boy!”

Rinaldo raised his head. There was faint scar running from his right cheek down to his chin. Daud guessed his age was between seventeen or twenty. His fighting technique wasn’t really impressive but it was adequate. 

“He was a thief, sir,” Carlo added in hushed whisper, “he’s better at sneaking around than fighting with a sword.”

Daud nodded his head and said to Rinaldo, “You need to work on your swing. Give it more power.”

Rinaldo gulped then nodded his head. “Yes, sir.”

Daud finally turned to Karl. “You’re Karl.”

Karl fidgeted under Daud’s stare. The way he hunched his back made him even smaller. “I am, sir.” He got the same accent like his sister.

“You’re not good with sword, aren’t you?” Daud inspected the boy more critically. He was smaller than Karla. Thin like a paper. The way he swung his sword was hopeless. “You’re weak, timid. We don’t need people like you.”

Karl went pale, paler than his natural complexion. He looked up to him with wide terrified eyes. No teary eyes. At least he wasn’t about to cry.

“He’s still learning, sir,” Karla told him, desperation etched clearly in her voice. “Give 

“I didn’t know you can talk with a girl voice,” Daud said to Karl, ignoring Karla’s plea. “You can’t hide behind your sister’s back forever, Karl.”

Karl’s black eyes blown with sheer panic. “No, sir! I-“

“Step forward,” Daud ordered.

Karl stepped forward. Behind him, Karla looked ready to lunge at Daud. The only thing that kept her at bay was Carlo’s stern glare. Daud refrained himself from shaking his head. His fear was correct. Her attachment to her brother would cause a problem. What should he do about it?

Daud saw someone entered the training ground in his peripheral vision. Daud was quite surprised when he saw Burrows standing by the side of metal sheet fence that surrounded the training ground. What a sore sight. It was clear Burrows was not here to watch the recruits, he was here for Daud and he looked like he wanted to kill him. Damned the Void. He should finish his inspection here.

“Karl, you’re not suited to become an ORS agent,” he finally said. He flicked his left wrist and the gears in his wristbow came to live. He raised it at Karl. The sharp tip of his dart was aimed at the boy’s head.

“No!” Karla shouted in panic. “Please! You can’t just kill hi-” She stopped when she saw Carlo raised his wristbow at her.

“You’re going to be an ORS agent, _my_ agents,” Daud said to all recruits. His eyes fixed on the terrified boy in front of him. “You’re going to do what I tell you. If I tell you to jump, you don’t ask me how high. You just jump. If I tell you to kill someone, you kill them with no haste. You have to trust me implicitly. Do not doubt me and never question my decision. Is that clear?” 

He turned his gaze to Karla. The girl looked lost in her fear and anger for a brief moment. After that, she hung his head low, chin dipped to her sternum. When she finally looked up, there was a fierce challenge in her eyes.

“Shoot him, sir.”

Daud shot Karl. 

In his shoulder.

Karl fell backwards from the impact with loud cry. He clutched his wounded shoulders and groaned in pain. The other recruits were looking at him with concern – all except his own sister. Karla was staring at Daud, keeping the eye contact for as long as it took. Daud watched the girl back. He had to give her credit for her courage. She didn’t even spare a glance like it didn’t matter. 

Karl started laughing.

“You knew,” Daud told her. He could see Karl started rolling on the ground. His laughter became louder. The other recruits were coming to him and asking what was wrong with him.

Karla did not say anything but the corner of her lips twisted upward into a smirk. Smug little girl. She would be a great agent. 

Karl suddenly burst into another round of boisterous laughter. The unusual high pitched laugh finally brought Karla’s attention back to her brother. She then knelt beside Karl and tried to shake him out from his manic stupor.

“Send him to infirmary and make sure he gets better at sword fighting next time I see him,” he told Carlo.

Burrows was still there by the fence, waiting for him like a hungry wolf. He had an impressive scowl when Daud came to him. “What’s wrong with that idiot?”

“New toy from RDA,” Daud simply replied. The laughing dart. As the name suggested, it made people laugh. Zachary Bones, his Chief of Research, Development, and Analysis gave him a demonstration for the laughing dart this morning. The result was impressive so he stole one dart when Zachary wasn’t looking.

“So our RDA spent their times creating that preposterous thing?” Color rose to Burrows’ face. “This is madness! What’s the purpose of having a dart that makes people laugh? You authorized that thing? Have you lost your mind? ORS is running on tight budget, Daud! You could allocate fund for that useless dart to other things!”

Daud should have stolen two laughing dart instead of one. 

“Out of my way, Burrows.” He turned from Burrows and walked to Kingsparrow Fort.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Burrows demanded.

Daud kept walking. A small smug smirk crept to his face when he heard Burrows’ hurried steps behind him. 

“Do you think you can ignore me?” Burrows hissed when he finally walked right beside Daud.

“What do you want?” Daud finally asked once they were inside Kingsparrow Fort corridor. 

They were leaving Whaler Program section and arrived at Special Ops wing now. They continued to head towards the exit door.

“You know why,” Burrows replied.

“I’m not a mind reader.” Daud knew why Burrows sought him out. He just chose to make it harder for Burrows.

“You rejected all my candidates for Alba’s new chief of station!”

While the preparation for Alba’s new base had been going well under Rulfio’s supervision, Daud still needed to choose Fergus’ successor. He wanted to appoint an agent from Whaler Project – as he did with Fergus – but he had learnt that being petty and vindictive to Burrows wouldn’t help him in the slightest so he came to Burrows. Burrows gave him four names; each came with personal records and Burrows’ assessment. It only took Daud four minutes to stamp big red ‘REJECT’ to each candidates’ dossiers and sent them back to Burrows.

“You can use your time finding some new candidates instead of whining to me,” Daud said.

“I’m not whining!” Burrows whined loudly.

Daud rolled his eyes and cross the courtyard to the gatehouse.

“I demand an explanation!” Burrows roared. “They’re all respectable agents with reputable background-”

“Gristolians,” Daud cut him. “They’re all Gristolians. We don’t want a Gristolian in Morley, Burrows. That’s the reason why Free Morley decides to revolt.”

“I understand your concern to have a Gristolian in Morley right now, but the situation in Morley wouldn’t last forever. When Free Morley is destroyed and political situation goes back to normal in Morley, we will want a capable officer as Alba’s chief of station.”

“Don’t you have any Morleyan agents in your employment?” 

“I do but I trust these people more.”

“Are you trying to say your Morleyan agents aren’t trustworthy?”

That ticked something inside Burrows. His nostril flared before he said, “Don’t twist my words. You know we can trust all my agents.”

“Then give me Morleyans candidates. Deliver the necessary documents for my consideration before day shift is finished or else I’m going to ask Billie to provide me one.”

Burrows gave him a sardonic laughter. “Do you really think she can find better candidates than mine?”

“I’d ask Zachary too if I must.”

“RAD? Don’t be ridiculous!”

Daud took a deep sigh and counted from five to one. “How’s your investigation? Anyone in Dunwall has heard about Free Morley?” 

“My agents are still working on it,” Burrows replied.

“Which means you have no progress to report.” 

His remarks angered Burrows. Naturally. “Do you know how many Morleyans are living in Dunwall? Six hundred and twenty eight. Do you think I can investigate them all in one day?”

“Use your RCG, we don’t pay them to do nothing.”

Burrows’ face had reached an amusing shade of red. “It’s not that simple!”

“I don’t need simple, I need result.”

Burrows didn’t say anything but his glare was screaming at Daud with hot intense fury.

“Go back to your post,” Daud ordered.

Daud then headed to the gatehouse. Burrows blessedly didn’t follow. 

***

It was 7 PM when Billie came barging to the Planning Room – still in her civilian clothes rather than ORS black uniform - and marched to Daud’s office in full speed.

Daud was in the middle of reading Carlo’s report on the recruits when Billie came and demand his attention. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He groaned. He wasn’t up to do a debriefing at this hour. He wanted to sleep.

“You sound so pathetic, old man,” Billie teased him and took a seat at the edge of Daud’s desk.

“I have a rough day,” Daud replied. He noticed the streak of mud in her pants and boots. “Not as rough as you, I imagine.”

“Still more preferable than being stuck doing paperwork all day.” Billie smirked at him. “So, I’ve heard we’re doing something in Wynnedown.”

Words really spread so fast in Kingsparrow. “We have sanction from Her Majesty. I’ve told Aedan to use any mean necessary to find out who behind Free Morley and where they hide.”

“Great, there’s not much intel division can uncover without some active investigations.”

“Speaking of investigation,” Daud said, “how’s yours going?”

“We scoured the woods near New Mercantile. I found a big cave near there. It’s enough to house a little group of anarchists. Perfect for a hiding place.”

It grabbed Daud’s full attention. “I didn’t know there’s a cave there.”

“Well now you do.” Billie took a roll of map from her satchel and laid it on the desk. There was a big red circle north to New Mercantile with a messy written notes saying ‘cave’. “It’s about 2.5 kilometer from New Mercantile.”

“Anybody ventures that deep into the woods?”

“One man. There’s a hunter named Jeremy Malone who goes to the woods every day. We met him when we were wandering around the woods. He knew about the cave. He used the cave as a shelter when it’s raining.”

“So if someone used the cave as hiding place, he would know.”

“More or else.”

Daud brought his fingers to his chin, scratched his stubble, and took a moment to ponder on this new information. Malone could be useful. No one would suspect him if he checked the cave regularly. He could spy on Free Morley if they decided to use the case as a hideout. He should take this opportunity. Luck was not something that came by coincidence after all. 

“Keep an eye on Malone. We can have him watch the cave for us if we play our cards right.”

Billie gave him a wide smile before she said, “No.”

Daud frowned. “No?”

“I don’t babysit a civilian, Daud.”

“You do babysit an asset, Billie. He could be useful.”

“It’s still debatable whether he is an asset or not. For all we know, Malone could be a Free Morley’s supporter and he’s keeping the cave for Free Morley.”

“Alright, I’ll ask Burrows to look into Malone. Happy?” Daud grumbled something under his breath when he saw Billie’s triumphant grin. “Do you have anything else to report?”

“I’ve checked the sewer. The tunnel collapsed about one kilometer from the gate so there was no way they could use it to get into Dunwall. Except if they’re willing to swim under the murky water.”

Daud cringed, remembering a similar experience in Dabokva. It was a memory he wanted to purge from his mind. Having good memory backfired sometimes.

“Desperate time calls for desperate measure,” Daud said.

“Couldn’t agree more,” she commented.

“Is there any way to get past the city wall without using the gate?”

Billie scoffed. “The wall is twelve meters tall. There’s no crack or any hole they could exploit. Using explosion will attract guards and civilians. They have to climb with rope, at night to avoid detection. The buildings near the wall are six to eight meters tall.”

“It sounds like a great risk.”

“It is a great risk.”

Daud hoped the extra guard would do good to keep them away from entering Dunwall. “Anything else?”

“Some New Mercantile residents know about Free Morley.”

Daud’s eyes widened in surprised. “They what? How do you know that?”

“Who knows what a Morleyan accent and free beer can get you in Green Clover pub, huh?” Billie shrugged. “Chester’s parents are Morleyans and he knows a lot of things about Morley. He was posed as a Morleyan and bonded quickly with the other patron. Also he did well with making up a sob story to share so I can assume he made some people to sympathize with him.”

That was clever. “What do they know about Free Morley?”

“Not much.” Billie got up from his desk and walked towards the banister. She turned back and leaned her hips against it in a casual manner. “Chester only overheard some patrons murmured it under their breath. There’s one man who said he was tired of kings and emperors and dukes.”

“And I’m tired of politic,” Daud quipped then sighed heavily. “Who else know about this? How do they know? What’s their view on that matter? Will they help Free Morley or will they report them to City Watch?”

“There isn’t much I can tell you about those things, sir. We still lack the information and we’ll need more time to investigate. But-” Billie rested her hands on the desk and leaned towards Daud. “Chester caught someone said Free Morley is going to Dunwall.”

Daud leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. He closed his eyes and frowned, so deeply in thought. He was vaguely aware of Billie’s penetrating gaze, waiting for his order. This was a delicate matter. One wrong move could end up with dead empress.

He wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed until he opened his eyes and found Billie’s shoulders twitched. “I want Chester stationed in New Mercantile. Monitor the atmosphere in that district; listen to all the gossip he can find. Get some men near the cave just in case we fail at Artenton. I want you to find out who started the rumor of Free Morley’s coming to Dunwall.”

His order was met with confused scowl from Billie. “Why? Maybe someone has a family in Wynnedown and they wrote about Free Morley in a letter. Seriously, Daud? Is that really necessary? Do I need to remind you that I’m understaffed?”

“Free Morley is a big issue in Wynnedown. It’s to be expected that someone would write about Free Morley to their relative in other regions such as Dunwall. But do they know Free Morley is on their way to Dunwall? I really doubt it.

“Our base in Wynnedown constantly updates the situation in the capital and all Free Morley’s activity. But did we hear about Free Morley sending a group to Dunwall from them? No. We know it from after we lost Alba. Our spy network in Wynnedown failed to notice this and we have spies in almost every Wynnedown social class. If they didn’t know, then there’s no plausible way the majority of Wynnedown citizen know about it. If it’s the case, then I’d like to ask you Billie, how in the deepest, coldest Void do people in New Mercantile know there’s a Free Morley group coming to Dunwall to kill the empress?”

Billie’s gaze widened when she finally saw his point. “Shit,” she cursed softly under her breath. “Someone in New Mercantile has a connection with Free Morley.”

“Or a member of Free Morley. They could be there to spread their propaganda.” 

“New Mercantile is the biggest Morleyan settlement in Dunwall. If Free Morley got their hands on it…”

“It would be easier for them to make their way into Dunwall,” Daud finished her sentence.

Billie looked down on the floor and folding her arms. Now it was Daud’s turn to wait until she finished thinking. “I’ll assign Chester to New Mercantile. We’ll think about a solid cover for him.”

“If you need to forge a document for his legend then you have my permission. You can deal with paperwork for it later.” They both didn’t need more paperwork after all.

“What about Malone? Do you still want to recruit him?”

“I’ll send a memo to Burrows to check his background and recruit him. The bald bastard has gone home and I need to see Corvo tomorrow.”

A little snicker came to Billie’s lips. “Ah. I heard you’ll have a fun sewer inspection tomorrow. Why not ask the recruits to do? It’ll be very educational.”

News travelled fast in Kingsparrow. It wasn’t clear whether his agents were great spies or just a bunch of gossipmonger. 

“Considering the amount of times I’ve spent crawling in the sewer, I’d say it’s a very important lesson,” she continued with a wicked grin.

Daud rolled his eyes. “I want a written report delivered to my desk before I go to see Corvo.”

“I’ll try but I can’t promise you anything. Most people need more than coffee and cigarette to function.” She pointed at Daud’s empty cup with an accusing gaze. 

“Fuck you too, Billie. Now go. I want to go home.”

“I’ll be waiting for your next order.” Billie left the room with a soft chuckle. That fucking bitch.

Daud slumped back to his chair once he was alone. He was exhausted to the bones, his head pounding softly and steadily. His body needed rest. He had a long day tomorrow. He needed to sleep, yet his eyes were wide open, and his mind could not stop racing. He needed to write the memo to Burrows, to reprimand him from Intel’s lack of competence and to advise him on what action Intel should take regarding New Mercantile. He should write it down while the idea was still fresh. 

Daud took his pen and a piece of paper. He would go home later.


	5. Chapter 5

Corvo gave him a curious look when Daud showed up at the sewer gate right beneath Dunwall Tower. Daud returned his gaze with a raised eyebrow. Corvo jerked his head at Daud and added a half smirk like he was mocking him. It took a moment for Daud to realize that asshole was referring to his outfit. Instead of his flashy Spymaster outfit, Daud was wearing his old ORS uniform. The black coat and red shirt were more suited for his outing.

“I can’t wear my usual coat in the sewer," Daud explained.

“Your coat looks ridiculous anyway.” Corvo canted his head sideways and gave him a leeway smirk. “Is your shirt a bit tight around your stomach? Or is it just the light playing tricks on my eyes.”

Daud rolled his eyes and gave him an impassive look. “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe you just need a pair of glasses. Ever considered to get one?” 

Corvo scoffed and gave him a challenging look. “My eyesight is perfect, thank you.”

“Is that so? Can you read the notice board on the wall over there?” Daud pointed at the sewer gate.

“Where?” Corvo turned his head away from Daud.

Daud smacked the back of Corvo's head hard enough to send his friend stumbling on his feet. That was for calling him fat.

“That hurts.” Corvo rubbed his head. “You could have given me a concussion.”

“I was aiming for a concussion.”

“Hmm, you’re getting weaker then,” Corvo said. Unbelievable. The jerk still had the gall to insult him.

“Do you want another go?” Daud raised his hand in a challenge.

“I’m just trying to say that maybe you need to rest. You look like you’re ready to collapse anytime soon.”

He knew he looked like shit. He stared at his reflection in the mirror with great contempt this morning. It wasn't just he looked like shit, he also felt like shit. His focus wavered, his steps swayed. Daud spent last night writing order to Burrows and ended up getting home too late in the night. He should probably stayed at Lighthouse rather than wasted his time on the boat ride. 

Fuck the cosmos and all the stars above. He was exhausted.

“I’m fine,” Daud lied through gritted teeth.

“Can you at least try to sound more convincing?”

Daud groaned, frustrated. What did Corvo want him to say? “I’m tired, ok? Can we move on?”

“We should call this off.” Corvo shook his head. “You need to sleep.”

“And you need to shut your mouth.”

Corvo crossed his arms and gave him a scowl. “Daud,” he said in a tone that reminded Daud of Corvo’s mother when she scolded them. Daud rolled his eyes. Corvo should use that tone to his own daughter not to him.

“It won’t do any difference. I’ll find another thing to do.” There were indeed a lot of things for him to do once he was back at Lighthouse. No one could afford the luxury of having minimal administrative duty like Corvo.

Corvo winced at his answer. “Go home. Take a day off.”

“Can’t do that. I still have to interview three candidates for Alba's new chief of station.” After that, he still had meeting with Rulfio to talk about Alba’s new base not to mention the necessary paperwork that followed. The endless stream of paperwork. He would die drowning in a sea of papers.

“So do you still want to do this?” Corvo jerked his thumb to the sewer.

Daud eyed the sewer gate. There was a good distance between him and the sewer – about 100 meters - and yet he could already pick up the stench from here. He could only guess how awful it was inside. He had been in a lot of sewers in a lot of places. They were all dark, damp, musty, and generally unpleasant. It made his skin crawled just by thinking about it.

“I’m good to go,” he said at last.

Corvo took a long suffering sigh. “After we’ve finished with the sewer, I’m going to write to Martin and ask him to drag your sorry ass away from the Lighthouse.”

Daud scoffed. “Unlike you and Jessamine, Martin has no power over me.” 

“Oh yeah? I still remember the last year fugue feast.” Corvo casted him a small smug smile.

“Nothing happened during the last year fugue feast,” Daud denied even when his face started burning with shame from the memory of it. 

The ground was getting muddier as they drew closer to the entrance. It was becoming harder to make a proper step. One misstep led Daud to get his left boot stuck up to his ankle in a thick mud. He cursed loudly as he pulled his feet from the mud. Daud saw Corvo stopped walking and turned back to him. Corvo wasn't the man who rely much in words to convey his feelings. He didn't say anything when he looked at him but his scowl and suspicious gaze was enough to scream his concern. 

It made Daud angry.

“I'm fine, damn it! Stop looking like I’m going to pass out anytime soon!” Daud snapped at Corvo.

Corvo raised his an eyebrow. “I’ve mentioned you look like you’re going to collapse soon.”

“Shut up and keep walking.”

They arrived at the gate without any further accident. Corvo produced the sewer key from his coat while Daud tried to stifle a yawn behind his gloved hand.

"Just so you know," Corvo said before he opened the gate, "if you fell into the water... I wouldn't help you."

Having been friends for three decades, Daud could easily decipher Corvo's words as 'please don't fall into the water' so Daud raised his middle finger as his answer. Corvo wasn’t the one who could express his feeling without words.

The inside of the sewer wasn't as bad as Daud thought it would be but it wasn't any less unpleasant. It was indeed dark, damp, and musty but at least it had solid walls and ceiling. Water was dropping from the joint pipes on the walls and the ceiling making some spot green with moss. Right now there was only one path for them to explore, but who knew what awaited them ahead. Even with the sewer map in Corvo's hand, there was no telling whether the map is accurate or not.

"I'm sorry I drag you here," Corvo said while opening a door. "If it were up to me I'd go alone but Jessamine is worried even though she knows I can take care of myself."

"Jessamine's fear isn't unfounded. There are many kind of dangers lurking in the sewer." Daud waited for Corvo to open door. There were more doors than he anticipated. Maybe they could just lock the door to stop Free Morley. Daud looked up to the ceiling and noted there was a big enough space for a man to crawl. For pipes maintenance probably. Free Morley could use the ceiling to sneak past the door.

"What kind of danger?" Corvo stopped and waited for Daud.

"River krust." He turned to Corvo and together they started walking again.

"I thought river krust only inhabits the bank of Wrenhaven?"

"The sewer is practically an extension of Wrenhaven. I encountered some during my days as field agent. They're a real pain in the ass."

Thankfully, they didn't encounter those horribly annoying river krust. What they did encounter were some swarm of gutter rats and a dead end.

“Great,” Daud commented, earning him a scowl from Corvo.

They were in a wide tunnel bisected by wide gutter full of murky water. A lone big lamp illuminated the tunnel, showing them what was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. A brick wall was blocking their way. A bronze plaque was bolted to the wall. _No Trespassing_ ; how very fitting.

"There's only one way to go there," Corvo said. The gutter didn’t stop there. It continued beneath the wall. “We have to swim.”

Daud’s jaw dropped a little at the suggestion. He turned at his friend and shook his head. “No.”

"It's just river water, Daud," Corvo assured him.

Daud looked down at the gutter. The murky water was green and he couldn't see the base. At least there was no sign of hagfish.

"You've swam through worse," Corvo continued.

"It doesn't mean I want to freeze myself to death,” Daud countered. 

“That isn’t a good enough reason.”

Daud pinched the bridge of his nose. “Our weapons. The water’s going to fuck with our pistol. The whale oil tank is waterproof and we can still fire it but the bullet won’t go very far if it’s not dry.” 

Corvo considered it for a while. “Water won’t affect our swords and your wristbow.” 

Unlike the pistol, ORS wristbow worked perfectly fine even when submerged under water. ORS pouches strapped to his belt were also waterproofed. “Alright, we swim.”

“Good decision.” Corvo slapped his shoulder before he jumped into the water and swam.

"’Just so you know, if you fell into the water, I wouldn't help you,’" Daud repeated Corvo’s words as he took his position by the gutter edge. “Ass.”

The water was freezing cold; it knocked the air out of his lungs once he hit the water. Amateur mistake. It had been years since he needed to swim in cold water. His body needed time to adjust, time that he actually had - it wasn’t like he was being chased by armed guards. But he didn’t want to be in cold water any longer so he swam. Thankfully it wasn’t a long swim. Corvo was waiting for him at the other side of the tunnel. 

“You’re slower than I thought,” Corvo said while offering a hand to help Daud out from the water. So much for ‘not going to help you if you fall.’

“Fuck you, Attano,” Daud said and grasped Corvo’s hand. Corvo pulled him with one powerful tug. Daud started to shiver once he was out from the water. “Remind me again why did I do this?”

“Because you love me,” Corvo answered dryly.

Daud hit Corvo’s head again.

He left his friend to mend his injured head and tried to dry his coat by squeezing it to no avail. Fuck, it was cold. His body couldn’t stop shivering. The constant throbbing in his head was back. Fuck the Void. He shouldn’t agree to do this.

“C’mon, we need to keep moving,” Corvo said.

“Of course.” Daud considered to drop his coat but decided against it. If he caught a cold then so be it. “Please tell me there’s no more swimming in cold water.”

“There’s no more swimming in cold water,” Corvo told him.

Daud raised an eyebrow while fixing his belt position. “You sounded so sure. Why?”

“I have the sewer map.” He patted his coat pocket.

“Which is wet by now and very much unusable.” Then realization hit Daud like a slap to his face. Corvo had the map and he had surely studied the map. Corvo should have known there was dead end and he should have known about the waterway. Daud groaned and shook his head in disbelief. “You knew we needed to swim from the start, didn’t you? You asshole.”

“And your point is?” Corvo’s face looked genuinely confused. Daud really wanted to kick him back to the cold water.

“You’re an asshole. I really don’t know why I keep you as my closest confidant.”

“You’re dating Martin for five years,” Corvo pointed out as if it was a good enough explanation. “Or is it six?”

It actually was a good enough explanation. Martin was an asshole. The biggest asshole Daud had ever known. He really didn’t know how they could manage to be together for six years – more if he counted the days before they got together. Void be damned, what was he? An assholes magnet?

“You’re still an asshole,” Daud insisted.

“You’re saying that like you aren’t an asshole yourself, asshole.” 

“I wonder what young Lady Emily would become having a rude father such as yourself.”

Corvo rolled his eyes. “Just keep walking.”

Their boots were making weird squeaking noises as they walked, courtesy to the water on their soles. They made a quick sweep in every tunnel they found themselves in, seeking for any possible hiding spot for stash or for laying traps like trip wire or some stun mine. The path they took was pretty linear but was proven to be more challenging than he original thought. At one point they had to climb a conveniently placed chain to proceed to the next tunnel. A careful drop soon followed it from an eight meters platform. Water had stopped dripping from the clothes by the time they arrived at Dunwall Sewer Section B. It was a large section with a lot of pipes going here and there. 

“According to map we’ll hit an exit soon,” Corvo told him.

“Good. I can’t wait to get out from this pla-“ His words was cut off by a sneeze and followed by another sneeze. A trickle of warm liquid coming down from his nose. 

Corvo looked at him with a mixed of concern and bewilderment. Daud wasn’t sure which one he detested more. “Oh no, you’re sick now.”

“I’m fine.” Daud wiped the snot with his coat sleeve.

“You’re catching a cold,” Corvo concluded.

His nose was stuffy, his head was pounding, and he thought he was going to have a fever soon. He was feeling miserable. “I don’t know, Corvo. I’m not the Royal Physician and the last time I checked, you’re not the Royal Physician either. Why don’t we leave the diagnosing business to Sokolov and do what we’re good at?”

“Daud-” the overbearing tone was back – “this is hardly the time for sarcasm.”

“And this is hardly the time for stupid question either, Corvo.” Daud crossed his arms and hugged himself tightly to fight the shiver. Fuck, it was cold. 

“I can’t believe I fall for your ‘I’m fine’ routine.” Corvo sighed.

“I am _fine_!” Then he sneezed. Damn it! He had to stop contradicting himself.

Corvo shook his head. “You’re just like Emily when she’s ill.”

“Don’t compare me to your spoiled brat!”

“I take it back. You’re worse than Emily.”

Corvo turned around to inspect their surroundings. Then he approached a lonesome grill stand near a big valve. Bones and skewer stick littered the ground around the grill stand.

“Who grilled their food inside a sewer?” Daud wondered aloud.

“Maintenance workers? Homeless people?” Corvo guessed. “River krust?”

Daud rolled his eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

“You said there’s river krust in the sewer. The only pests I’ve seen so far are rats.”

A swarm of rats ran past them, squeaking cheerfully as they did so. Curiously, one of the rats had white fur. White gutter rat, what a rare thing. 

“There are still some coals in this thing,” Corvo said while squatting near the grill stand. “Give me your lighter. I know you keep it inside your bandolier pouch so it should stay dry. We can start a fire to warm ourselves.”

Daud tossed him his lighter and let Corvo to start a fire without his help. The fire Corvo ignited was nothing more than just a small flicker of flame and it wasn’t enough to dry two grown men wearing multiple layers of clothing. They needed to strip down to shirt and trousers to be able to feel the warmth. Daud couldn’t fathom how absurd this whole situation was; him and Corvo sitting on a filthy ground in their wet shirts and trousers, seeking warmth from a sad excuse of fire pit while their outer coat and gears were laid unceremoniously on the filthy ground.

It made him feel nostalgic.

“This whole thing, exploring a place together. Bringing back some childhood memories, isn’t it?” Daud voiced his thought.

“I don’t remember freezing our asses to the bones in a sewer when we were kids,” Corvo said but there was a hint of smile in his lips.

Daud groaned. “Don’t be a smartass.”

Corvo laughed. “Actually yes, it reminds me of our childhood; wandering around Batista, swimming in the ocean, gathering herbs for your mother’s shop, doing errands for my mom’s shop. We sure did a lot of things together.”

“That’s why people mistook us as brothers – well, they still do.” A small smile graced his lips. “Miles and miles away from home and people still think we’re brothers. We don’t even look alike.”

“Yes, I keep wondering have people gone blind or something. I’m clearly more handsome than you.”

Daud’s hand flew to Corvo’s head but this time Corvo was fast enough to block him. 

“Sometimes I wonder what our life would be if we didn’t go to Dunwall,” Corvo said. “Have you ever thought about that?”

“I’d be a gang leader and you my second,” Daud replied without thinking.

Corvo laughed. “Really?”

“We’re both good with blades since we were kids. We’re fast, know the street of Karnaca like the back of our hands.” Daud raised an eyebrow when Corvo’s laughter became louder. “What? It’s the most likely scenario.”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean.” Corvo wiped the tears from his eyes. “I mean, you the gang leader? No, my friend. I’m the gang leader and you’re my second.”

“Think you can best me?” Daud asked.

“Of course. I’m younger and quicker than you.”

Daud couldn’t help but to laugh at his friend’s false placed confidence. “You know what, I think I’d form a gang without you. I don’t need a smartass.”

“Good. Then I’d have my own gang and it would be better than yours-” Corvo didn’t finished his words because he had to dodge a flying pebble thrown by Daud at his face.

“But honestly,” Daud said, “I think you’d do well if we stayed at Karnaca. You were a Grand Guard officer before you were sent to Dunwall. I’m sure you could make an elite officer in no time. Maybe you’d be stationed in the Palace. Can you think about that? A gutter rat like you in the Duke’s palace?”

“I was a gutter rats and now I’m in the Dunwall Tower,” Corvo pointed out.

Daud snorted. “Reality is far stranger than our imagination, it seems.”

“And you?” Corvo turned to Daud. His eyes were strangely sad. “What about you? Will you come with me?”

“Be a Grand Guard officer?” Daud scoffed. “I don’t think so. I’m not a man of the law, Corvo. Didn’t you hear what that prick Russell said to me? I break the law and bend it to my own will. I steal, I rob, I kill. I commit to hideous crimes without batting my eyes. That’s why I make a great special ops agent.” 

_I am a monster_ was what he wanted to say but he decided to keep it to himself.

“And you,” Daud continued, “you’re different than me. You’re born to protect. Remember the time when you defend Mr. Atkins’ daughter from being raped in an alley? There were three men and they’re all bigger than you. One of them had a knife. You were thirteen and small and weak. Did you run to the nearest grand guard? No, you ran to her and punched one of the rapist right in his face. Lucky for you I was there with you or else you’ll die.”

“I rescued her because I knew you would help me and I knew you would win,” Corvo told him. “You stabbed the bastard with his own knife and broke his shin.”

“Can’t you see it? You’re more compassionate than me and I’m more lethal than you. You’re a protector and I’m a killer. 

“I’ve killed people, Daud,” Corvo said.

“To protect Jessamine. Even when you kill people you do it to protect someone. I kill people because they need to be killed. If we stayed at Karnaca, you’d become a Grand Guard elite officer while I’d become the worst of humanity can offer. That’s what we would become.”

Corvo casted his eyes to the fire and stayed silent for a while. The cheerful grin was gone, replaced by a faint frown. Daud waited patiently for his friend. If Corvo wanted to say something he would in his own time.

“I became a Grand Guard officer because you were gone,” Corvo confessed. “If you were still there, I wouldn’t accept the offer to become a Grand Guard officer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d rather be with you than prancing through Karnaca’s streets in my uniform. Back when we were kids, all I did was follow you. If you ended up in a gang, I’d be in a gang too. If you formed a new gang, I’d be your second. If you became a killer then I’d be a killer too.”

Silence followed. Daud was too stunned to speak any words. The weight of Corvo’s confession was heavy on his mind. Corvo would follow him to the darkest part of the Void. That idiot would damn his life just to be with him. He would deny his true calling as a protector to walk the bloody path of a killer. He would be ruined and it would be Daud’s fault.

“It’s a good thing we got separated,” Daud concluded. 

Corvo nodded his head. “Yes, I believe it’s for the best.”

They didn’t talk again afterwards. Corvo was busy warming his body. He didn’t want to talk after his grand confession. Daud took a cigarette from his pouch and lighted it. Corvo didn’t say anything but kept his gaze fixed on him. On his hands to be exact. It started to bother him after a while.

“What?” Daud asked.

“Aren’t you cold? Why do you keep your gloves on?”

Daud’s heart jolted behind his ribcages. His right hand froze mid-air as he lifted his cigarette to his lips. He wasn’t expecting that question but he supposed he should see it coming. It was weird to see him with his leather gloves in his state of undress.

“You know why,” Daud answered and put the cigarette between his lips.

“You burned your hands during a mission and you don’t want people to see it. Yes, you’ve told me that.” Corvo leaned closer to Daud. “But aren’t you cold?”

“Yes, I’m cold. No, I don’t want people to see my hands, thank you.”

“But I’m your friend,” Corvo insisted, “and I’ve seen you naked.”

Daud rolled his eyes. “We were children that time.” 

“Yes, we were children. It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve seen you naked before. What’s worse than that?”

Daud didn’t know whether to feel offended or not. Corvo had unbelievable persistent. “Don’t say that in front of Martin. He’ll get the wrong idea.”

“Say what? Seen you naked? Do you think I’ll be foolish enough to mention it to your jealous partner? I’d rather stick my feet into a water full of hag fish.” 

“Speaking of Martin,” Daud continued, “that bastard insists I wear my gloves all the time. He said my hands are horrible.”

“He asks you to wear them all the time?” Corvo asked, bewildered. “What about when you’re having sex? Does he ask you to wear it?”

Daud’s eyes widened as his jaw dropped in surprise. “What?”

Corvo’s fingers came to his chin and scratched, deep in thought. “Maybe he has gloves fetish?”

Daud looked up to the ceiling as if he would find strength from some divine entity. 

“Or maybe leather fetish? Your gloves are made from leather, right?” He continued.

Daud pinched the bridge of his nose. What was wrong with Corvo? “I won’t talk about my sex life with you!”

Daud fixed his gaze on the fire and refused to address Corvo’s other questions. Unbelievable. Corvo and his wild imagination. For someone who rarely talked on daily basis, he could be very insufferable when he opened his mouth.

“Let’s keep moving. We have enough rest,” Daud announced.

The exit Corvo mentioned earlier wasn’t very far from where they rested. With nothing else to see, they headed to the exit. The smell of the sewer dissipated and mixed with the scent of Wrenhaven. Daud spotted a lonely old man was sitting on a boat near the sewer exit. What a strange view. This was hardly a place for an old man to dock his boat. He found it even stranger when the old man’s face broke into a smile when he saw them coming, but the strangest thing was when Corvo returned the smile with a grin and a friendly wave.

“Good day, Corvo. I believe your mission went according to your plan?” The old man asked.

“I believe so.” Corvo turned to Daud. “Daud, this is Samuel. Samuel, Daud.”

Samuel hurriedly got on his feet and stepped out from his boat. There was nothing remotely interesting with Samuel at first glance. He looked just like any working class man who lived in Dunwall; his clothes old and tattered, the threat on his knitted gloves almost coming undone. But there was something different in Samuel’s dark eyes. There was warmth in those eyes, kindness. Even though his hair had gone grey with age and his face creased with wrinkles, Samuel still looked fit for an old man.

“Lord Spymaster, it’s an honor, sir – I mean, Lord Spymaster” Samuel said while bowing. 

“Sir is fine and stop bowing. I’m not a real nobleman,” Daud said. He really detested it when people did that. He had to give Samuel a credit for recognizing him without his ridiculous coat and medallion.

“Corvo has told some things about you, sir. Nothing scandalous, I can assure you that,” Samuel told him.

“Strange,” Daud said. “Corvo has never told me anything about you.” Daud directed his glare to Corvo.

“I don’t blame him, sir. I’m merely a boatman, nothing more.” He was kind and humble. Daud thought this type of man had gone extinct in Dunwall.

“I met Samuel a year ago in Old Port District,” Corvo explained. “Remember the maid who stole Jessamine’s necklace last month? She said she sold it to a shop in that district.”

“The Black market?” Daud asked. Everyone who dabbled in criminal world knew Old Port was a haven for black market.

Corvo nodded his head. “Long story short, I met Samuel and he helped me to find the correct shop. Then he gave me a ride back to the Tower. I came to Samuel if I needed a discreet boat ride. He’s one of my informants.”

Daud eyed Samuel from head to toe. There was nothing really special about this man. Plain old man whom people wouldn’t noticed unless being told to do so. “You’re a smuggler?”

Samuel blinked. “Excuse me, sir?” He was surprised but he didn’t sound offended. 

“Extensive knowledge on Wrenhaven, you knew how to locate Old Port black market. Sounds like a smuggler to me,” Daud explained. 

“Well, I’m a boatman, sir. People hire me to sail across Wrenhaven and I’m not picky about who’s abroad my boat. Sometimes they bring something with them, sometimes they don’t. I prefer not knowing what’s inside their bags.”

Daud couldn’t blame Samuel for his work attitude; ignorance was a bliss after all. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

“Am in trouble, sir?” Samuel asked.

Daud huffed out a snort. “No, you’re not. I have no problem with smuggler.”

“He recruits smuggler to be his agents so you don’t have to be afraid of him,” Corvo told Samuel.

Corvo and Samuel then engaged in light discussion about Daud’s dubious choice for ORS agent. Having no intention to explain himself, Daud checked his pocket watch once they emerged from the sewer. 11 AM. They had been inside the sewer for two hours and yet their clothes were still damp from water. Now they were out in the open, Daud finally realized how awful they smelled. Perfect.

“Where are we?” Daud asked when Corvo and Samuel had stopped talking. He casted his glance around; he could see the Tower District Port from here. 

“We’re at the edge of Tower District,” Samuel answered.

And his guess was right. He turned to Corvo. “You said he can help us. How?”

“As you might have noticed, our boatman works for many dubious clients and yet he has no criminal records which means somehow he can avoid detection from the River Patrol,” Corvo began. He turned to Samuel with a small apologetic smile. “I did a thorough background check on you, Samuel. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Don’t worry, Corvo. I understand,” Samuel told him.

“So, what’s with this introduction?” Daud asked.

Corvo’s smile was gone when he turned his head to Daud once more. “I met with Samuel yesterday when I accompanied Jessamine to the Old Port District. Then I thought that maybe he could help us. As I said, Samuel has dealt with criminals and helped them to transport their goods or sneaked them away from authority and yet he hasn’t got caught. He’s good at staying low and avoiding river patrol.”

“Cut it out. What’s your point?” Daud asked crudely. He began to lose his patience. 

“Samuel knows how to avoid river patrol. He knows their blind spot and how to hide from them.” Corvo replied. “He’s agreed to share this information with you so you can prepare for _the situation_ accordingly.”

“And why come to me?” 

“Because I asked him to meet you.”

“Gathering information right from the source is not my job, Corvo.” Daud sighed then threw a curious glance at Samuel. “You do realize it’ll be harder for you to avoid detection if we know your secret.”

“If it means I can help then I don’t mind,” Samuel replied. Humble, kind, and generous. He couldn’t believe Wrenhaven had been hiding this man from world for all this time. 

“Alright, boatman. Tell me everything you know.”

The information Samuel shared with them was way beyond helpful. He didn’t just tell him river watch’s patrol route and ways to avoid it, Samuel also told him about all the dangers they could encounter while travelling across Wrenhaven. With the help of Dunwall map stashed in Samuel’s riverboat, the old boatman showed him where he saw the dangerous creatures of Wrenhaven. He really had an extensive knowledge on Wrenhaven, even better than ORS agents.

“I spend more time on the water than on the ground, sir,” Samuel told him when Daud asked him about how he acquired his knowledge. “I know it like the back of my hand.” He smiled proudly.

“Yes, I can see that.” Daud threw a sideway glance at Corvo. His friend was looking at a rocks formation by the shore. “Should I need your help in the future, how can I contact you?” He turned back to Samuel.

“Just leave a message to Lydia Brooklaine of Hound Pits Pub in Old Port District. I like to go there every night.”

Daud remembered Havelock mentioned that pub during last Privy Council meeting. Didn’t he said he wanted to buy that pub?

“I’ll remember that. Now take us back to the Tower.” Daud turned to the boat and found Corvo with his eyes still fixed on the rocks. What the fuck? Corvo had spent five minutes staring at rocks. “What the fuck are you doing, idiot?” He put his hand on Corvo’s shoulder.

Corvo jerked awake with a soft gasp. He turned his head to Daud and blinked his eyes slowly to regain his focus. “What?” He asked, dazed. There was something wrong with Corvo.

“You’ve been staring at those rocks.”

“Yes, I…” He stopped and checked the rocks once again. “I hear… something over there. It sounds like a hiss.”

Daud came to Corvo’s side. “What do you me-“

Chill run through him as he hear something. A hissing sound soft enough to be hidden beneath the sound of gentle waves meeting the shore. The ominous noise, calling him, asking him to come. That noise…

“I don’t hear anything,” Daud claimed. “Do you hear anything, Samuel?”

Samuel looked lost. “No, sir, I don’t.”

“No, there’s something over there,” Corvo insisted.

Corvo ran to the rocks like a man possessed and ignored Daud’s call. Daud followed him, leaving the boatman alone by the boat. Void be damned! It was the sound that drew him in. It had that effect on a first time listener. Like a siren luring a ship to the rocks, doomed to the inevitable death. He wouldn’t let Corvo get enthralled by it.

“Corvo! Come back here!” He saw Corvo crouching on the rocks with his hands reaching for something under water. Daud ran to Corvo. “Corvo!” He called in panic when he saw Corvo pulled something from the water. A round object made from whalebone with a mark craved to its surface.

It was a rune.

“Is this…” Corvo showed him the thing in his hands to Daud. “Is this a rune?”

“Corvo, put it down. That thing is dangerous.”

“It’s beautiful,” Corvo said in amazement. His fingers touch the mark tentatively. “Is this the Outsider’s mark?”

Daud kept his eyes away from that damned mark. Just looking at that damnable mark was enough to make his skin crawl. “Put it down, Corvo.”

“It’s my first time touching a rune,” Corvo said. “I didn’t expect it to be so warm. How can it be warm? It’s emerged underwater but it’s warm, Daud. And it’s… thrumming…” His eyes started to lose his focus. He stared with blank eyes at the rune in his hand. “Humming a song…”

“Put it down!” Daud yelled right at his face. “The thing is full of the dark magic. It’ll corrupt your mind and drive you further into madness.”

Corvo blinked. When his eyes met Daud’s, they looked so puzzled. “What happened?”

“It’s the rune,” Daud explained, “remember what my mother told us when we were kids? Runes are dangerous. They can mess your mind, enthrall you. It almost got you, Corvo.”

Corvo looked back at the rune again. “You’re right. This thing is dangerous. We have to take it to Holger Square and have it destroyed by the overseer.”

“No. We’ll leave it here and pretend we’ve never seen it.”

Corvo snapped his eyes back to Daud. “This is a heretical artifact! You said it yourself, it’s dangerous! We have to report it to the Overseer.”

“Yes, I know the protocol but it’s best to leave the rune right here.”

“Your life partner is the High Overseer,” Corvo argued.

“Martin has nothing to do with this, okay? Just trust me. Leave the rune here and then we go back to the Tower.”

Corvo looked conflicted and confused. He looked back and forth between Daud and the rune. He finally threw the rune to the river after a minute or two. It hit the water about two meters from them and sank to the bottom of the river in no time. 

“Let’s go to the boat,” Corvo announced.

Daud could still hear the sound coming from the water. The hissing sound that called for him. It wouldn’t stop calling him, calling and calling and calling…

“Let’s go,” Daud agreed.

They headed straight back to the Tower by riverboat, leaving the rune underwater with a swarm of hagfish to protect it. No one would find it again.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a brief moment of confusion when Daud woke up from his sleep. Instead of the wooden ceiling he saw a white gypsum with a water stained spot in the far corner of the room. It was cold here – cold and dry instead of the usual warm and humid. There was no trace of his mother’s herb scent in the air. In fact, he couldn’t smell anything. Something was blocking his nostril and it itched and-

A violent sneeze cut his train of thought. He opened his eyes gingerly, dreading to face the fact that he was back to his shitty apartment in Riverside District. He wiped the warm trail of liquid that dripped from his nostril with the back of his hand and grimaced. Shit. His nose felt stuffier than yesterday.

He didn’t know what time it was but he had a feeling the answer would probably be ‘too late to arrive at Kingsparrow on time’. He had no will to find his pocket watch, which was inside his coat pocket. He threw the coat unceremoniously to the floor last night. His weapons were in the same state of abandonment besides the coat instead of neatly stored under his bed. He vaguely remember he fell asleep the moment his head met his pillows. He didn’t even change his clothes or even remove his gloves. He must be very exhausted last night.

He finally decided to get up on his feet after he decided he had enough rest. With swaying steps, he made his way to the pantry. He didn’t feel great; his head was pounding painfully behind his eyelids, his throat hurt like someone rammed a spring razor in there, and his body felt uncomfortably warm and clammy with sweat. Overall, he felt miserable, just plainly miserable. Oh great. He really regretted helping Corvo yesterday. No, that wasn’t quite true. He regretted meeting that idiot. His life would be much better without Corvo constantly dragging him into trouble.

“Good morning.”

Daud’s hand flew to his hip and froze when he remembered he left his weapons on his nightstand. He clenched his fist tightly, feet planted firmly on the floor, and ready to launch himself to the intruder should the need arise. Someone was in his apartment, sitting on his dining chair while reading the newspaper. A man cladded in black shirt with a black scarf around his neck. A man who was smiling at him – no, _sneering_. That snake like sneer. That slick jet black hair. Those big ears…

Teague Martin. 

“Don’t be so hostile. It’s only me,” Martin said with a teasing smile. He was wearing a civilian clothes instead of his usual red coat.

“Martin?” Daud rasped. He tried to clear his throat but ended up with a coughing fit. His throat hurt even more after that.

“Expecting someone else?” Martin asked. “Come here and sit down, would you? You look like you’re going to pass out. And sit over there, don’t be too close to me. I don’t want to catch your germ.”

Daud did as he was told and took the chair across Martin. There was a plate of bread, bacon, and eggs. His breakfast? “What you’re doing here?” Daud asked.

“I receive a letter from Vice Overseer Khulan of Wynnedown abbey last night. I think you might want to see it.”

That got his attention. “What letter?”

“Later,” Martin diminished his question with a wave of his hand. “Drink your tea while it’s hot and eat your food. Don’t waste your food, Lord Spymaster. You have to be grateful for what you have in your life.”

Daud rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup of tea. He was in no mood to argue with Martin, not when he was like this. He relished the warmth from his ginger tea that trickled down his throat. Huh, ginger tea? He was sure he didn’t have one. Did Martin bring it?

“It’s a nice to see you finally take on my advice to fire your previous cleaning lady. Her cooking is terrible. At least this one cooks perfect eggs and makes excellent coffee,” Martin commented.

Daud almost choked on his tea. He took a couple of deep breaths before he said, “You’ve met Mrs. Manson, I assume.”

“I have. What a lovely lady; young and pretty. Where did you pick her, Daud? You must tell me.”

“Running out of maids, High Overseer? Esther from the second floor is unemployed if you’re interested.”

Martin chuckled. “I’m afraid I have to decline your offer. The Abbey manages my household. I am nothing but a dweller who sleep, eat, and shit in that house.”

“A big and luxurious house in the Estate District,” Daud commented. “I always thought the overseer lives a simple life when I was a boy. I looked at an overseer and thought, ‘poor choffer, they won’t have anything to their name’. Then I went to Dunwall and learned the High Overseer lives in a fucking estate.”

“The Strictures doesn’t say anything about restricting your wealth, Daud. What’s the point of being the most powerful man in the Abbey if you don’t get to live like an emperor?”

Daud rolled his eyes and picked his bread and started to chew it. It tasted strange in his mouth. “Did she recognize you?”

“No, she just thought I’m a very _close_ friend of yours, which isn’t wrong.” There was a heavy emphasis in that word which caused Daud to roll his eyes. Rumors of him being a homosexual had been running around the housewives in this building. He personally didn’t care about what those people said about him behind his back. No one dared to confront him to clarify it which was fine with him.

“As long as she doesn’t know who you are.” Daud forced himself to swallow the bread with the help of the tea.

Martin chuckled at his remarks. “It’s funny how people fail to recognize us when we dress in plain clothes. All I need to do is to leave my red coat in the carriage and hide my clerical collar with a scarf and suddenly I’m no one. The same goes with you, Daud. You’ve lived here for five years since you’ve become the Royal Spymaster and yet no one knows that they are living under the same roof with the most dangerous man in Dunwall. Our suits is our identity to them.”

“Martin,” Daud said, sounding too tired all of the sudden. “You wear golden mask when you make public appearance. How can you expect those people to know your face?”

Martin laughed. “How to hide a man who wear mask? You take the mask off his face.”

Daud sighed deeply. Instead of funny, he found Martin’s joke crude. “What time is it now?”

“Nine thirty.”

Great, he was already late. “And how long have you been here?”

“About three hours.”

“What?! Why-” Daud coughed and leaned his back to the chair. He raised his head to the ceiling in vain hope to keep his nose from leaking.

“Just wipe your nose, it’s gross.” Martin threw him a clean handkerchief. There was an initial embroidered on the corner of the white sheet; TM. It was Martin’s handkerchief no doubt. Daud took a graet pleasure to defile it while the owner of the handkerchief could only grimace and regret his decision. “You can keep it since you’ve thoroughly ruined it.”

“Fuck you too, Martin.” Daud threw it to the table. He felt slightly better already. “Now, why you didn’t wake me? I have an important meeting to attend to.”

“You are sick, Daud. You’re burning with fever when I arrived. Besides, I can still feel your temperature from here. Do you know what sick people need? Food, medicine, and rest. The things you wouldn’t remember to do because you’re a thick headed choffer.”

Daud would laugh but his throat hurt so much so he just sneered instead. “If you think you can just come here and order me around… You’re wro -” a cough interrupted him, “-you’re wrong.”

“I know. That’s why I let you sleep.”

They didn’t talk afterwards, both seemed too focused on what they were doing. Daud tried to eat his breakfast and Martin read the newspaper. After a while, Daud finally decided to break the silence. He put down his fork and stared at Martin.

“I want to see the letter,” Daud demanded.

Martin eyed the half eaten breakfast and sighed. He pulled a vial of red liquid from his breast pocket and gave it to Daud. “For your cold.”

Daud drank the potion without protest. It tasted like a stale ale. “Now, the letter.”

Martin reached for his back pocket and pulled out a folded enveloped. He gave it to Daud for inspection. The letter was addressed to the High Overseer and sealed with the Abbey’s seal. Keeping that in mind, Daud could only assume no one else besides Martin had read the content of this letter.

> _High Overseer Martin,_
> 
> _I am writing to you to let you know that there is a pandemonium coming to Wynnedown, one that I fear is out of the Abbey’s control. The people in this land is crying for revolution and the king is obstinate in his ignorance. There he hides inside the wall of his palace while a group who called themselves Free Morley rampages through the city, forcing their ideology to whoever cross their path. No one has died yet, High Overseer, but I can see blood spilled on the street soon._
> 
> _Free Morley hasn’t made any direct attempt to attack the Abbey at this point, High Overseer, there’s no attack against our brothers and no one vandalizes our Abbey. But one of our most esteemed benefactor came to me two days ago and confided me with a very concerning matter. His name is Luke Donoghue, he is a well-known playwright in Morley and he was the manager for the King’s Theatre. He’s been donating money to our Abbey for years now but I haven’t really seen him attending our weekly service. Needless to say, I was worried. So when I saw him praying in our abbey and I knew he needed a guidance. I take him to my office and we talked._
> 
> _I know I shouldn’t tell any soul about the confession of the faithful but you are the High Overseer and I think that rule doesn’t apply to you._
> 
> _He didn’t share too many detail or context, but he told me about supporting an idea that he truly believe in great passion but by doing so he had committed a terrible things, things that weightsheavy in his conscience. He told about meeting people who at first inspired him but dragged him into the Void. He claimed that he had betrayed the King’s trust that was placed on him but he was already too deep to escape. I tried to coax more detail, High Overseer, but he refused to answer and bolted when I pressed further._
> 
> _High Overseer, I think he’s talking about Free Morley._
> 
> _This is just pure speculation but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m right. This man needs our help but I don’t know what to do. I could go to the City Guard and report him but I have no evidence to support my speculation. I’m also bound to my oath to the Abbey and by confiding with the City Guard, I’ve failed the Abbey. What I shared with him in my office is for our ears only – and you by extension. But High Overseer, I don’t see a man deserving a hanging pole but a man in dire need for redemption. I can see the weight of his guilt crushing his soul._
> 
> _A question linger in my thought, what should I do with Mr. Donoghue? Not just with him but also what action should I take regarding this whole revolution? What stance should we take at this time of crisis? What guidance should we offer to King Turlough? I am simply at lost. This is the time I need your guidance, High Overseer. Unlike me, you come from this land. You were born on this land and you have served this land. I know the Abbey is here to battle the heretics but should do nothing and watch the town crumble before our eyes? I wonder if we can also lead those misguided people back to the righteous path._
> 
> _The Grand Feast is coming soon and I’m afraid it will be filled with terror not joy._
> 
> _Your humble servant,  
>  Vice Overseer Yun Khulan_

“Donoghue,” Daud murmured. The way Khulan wrote it made him sound highly suspicious.

“Yes, Donoghue. Give my letter back.” Martin extended his hand towards Daud.

“Yun Khulan,” Daud repeated the name and inspected his neat handwriting, “your biggest contender during the Feast of Painted Kettle?” He handed the letter back to Martin.

“That would be the one, yes.” Martin reached for the letter and put it back to his pocket. “We’ve met briefly during my Dance of Investiture. Nice guy, very perceptive, and earnest. The Ascending Circle really likes him.” If it wasn’t for Martin’s sleek persuasive speech and Daud’s intervention from behind the curtain, Khulan would be the next High Overseer.

“Do you think Khulan’s account is credible?” Daud asked him.

“Like I said, he’s perceptive and earnest,” Martin answered, “and I think he has found you the weakest link of Free Morley.”

How to break the toughest chain? Start from its weakest link. Donoghue was their weakest link. He had to arrange his men to track him. Daud coughed to his hand and caught Martin made an unnerved face at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Martin said with a disapproving frown. “I trust you’re going to conduct an investigation on Luke Donoghue?”

“On the man and the theatre,” Daud replied. He had an impression Donoghue had given the King’s Theatre for Free Morley. Everything in Wynnedown that had _‘king’s’_ or _‘queen’_ in its name belonged to the royal family. Donoghue was trusted with the theatre and he did something bad there. 

“I’ll write to Khulan and let him know we’ll get the situation under control,” Martin said. “Do you need help from the Overseer? I can also write him to assist your agent’s investigation if you’d like.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Daud replied. There wasn’t much the Abbey could do to assist his men. Besides, he wasn’t a fan of the Abbey despite his relationship with Martin. Sleeping with the High Overseer and relying the Abbey for help was two different things.

“Alright.” Martin nodded his head. “Now excuse me, I have to lead a praying group and give the daily words of reassurance to my subordinates.”

Daud knew Martin’s schedule and had it memorized in his head for no particular reason. The same went with Martin as well although Daud’s schedule was more erratic than his. That was why he knew Martin was fucking with him right now. “The praying group starts at nine,” Daud reminded him.

A small smile tug Martin’s lips. “I’m the High Overseer, Daud. I can be late and no one will dare to berate me.”

Daud found himself smiling before he even realized it. “Thank you, Martin.”

“Don’t be. The content of the letter is important,” Martin said.

Daud scoffed. “You know what I meant that.”

Martin chuckled but didn’t say anything more as he walked towards the door.

***

The sky was grey and cloudy when Daud left his apartment this morning and by noon the rain was pouring so hard, it drowned any other sound in Lighthouse Planning Room. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a great day to have a Top Hound weekly meeting but the urgency of their discussion forbade them to delay it any longer.

“I’m sorry but can you repeat the question, Daud? I can’t quite hear you,” Rulfio said from across the table. His face was a mixture of annoyance and concern.

It didn’t surprise anyone when he showed up to the meeting with runny nose, sore throat, and a fever. Thomas had been supplying him with endless cup of hot ginger tea but it wasn’t enough to make him feel less miserable than he already was.

“Hawthorn,” Daud said. His raspy voice was barely audible. “The new Alba’s chief of station. She’s already left?” Daud repeated his question for Rulfio. Interviewing and selecting the new chief of station with Burrows was one of the reason why Daud didn’t have enough rest yesterday. He thought he damaged his vocal cord during his argument with that bald bastard. 

“Yes, she has gone to Alba at six this morning with two technicians. They are to be stationed permanently in Alba.”

“When will the new station be operational?” Burrows asked.

“It takes two weeks to sail from here to Alba with ORS ship. Agent Hawthorn will need a week to find new suitable station and to get some necessary papers that won’t be traced back to us, and about two or three days to set the place. I’d say a month.”

Daud did a quick calculation in his mind to confirm Rulfio’s estimation. Hawthorn’s cover was a bookshop owner so she had to find the right place to set up her new bookshop; a place that could hide the ORS transmitter that could rally the messages from and to Morley. It would take more than five weeks.

“After everything is up and running-” Daud turned to Burrows, “get her to reestablish Alba’s spy network. Contact our agents in Alba, get things under control again.”

“I know what I have to do,” Burrows said with a scowl. “Hawthorn will need time to reconnect our field agents and the handlers. Until then we won’t have any intel coming from Alba.”

Daud nodded his head. A month silence from Alba was bad but it couldn’t be helped. “And what has become of Alba and Quinn?” Daud inquired.

“Three agents were sent from Driscol to do quick reconnaissance and destroyed any evidences that can link the explosion in the port to us. Alba City Guard has stopped the investigation and blamed it on steam pipe malfunction. And for agent Hayes, he didn’t make it to Driscol. He was found dead in the dock.”

Daud had expected that but it didn’t mean he didn’t regret it. “And Free Morley?”

“There’s no sign of Free Morley in Alba.”

Daud took a deep sigh. He lost one agent but at least he didn’t have to worry about Alba for now. He turned to Billie. “Any report from Artenton?”

“I just got words that Javier and his team have arrived at Artenton,” Billie answered. “They have taken their position in the town and waiting for any suspicious ships.”

Daud nodded his head once again. He checked the checklist for the meeting on his notepad. “Now, let’s talk about Wynnedown.”

Tension raised quickly and weighted them with barely concealed wary. The air was so thick, Daud’s throat itched for it. He coughed into his gloved hand. 

“Billie-” Daud turned to Billie, “update.”

“As you might have known, we’ve given our order to Aedan and his team to begin his investigation three days ago after the Privy Council meeting. Right now, Aedan is following any lead Burrows’ spies has uncovered. They’re focusing on finding where Free Morley hides from the City Guard.”

Billie got up from her seat and walked to the map of Wynnedown on the wall. There were some marked dots with pictures pinned next to it. “Abandoned hospital ward in Maurice Roose Street. Poet Cafe in Art Alley. The last one, King Street Brandy distillery in Distillery District." 

Daud’s eyes snapped to a dot labeled the King’s Theatre that left unmarked. No one had thought to investigate the theatre. It was too close to the City Guard headquarter.

“Burrows’ team have put those buildings under surveillance for a week now. They discovered some suspicious activities. Aedan’s team went to hospital ward first and found out people have been using the hospital to make illegal drugs.”

“We found a drug ring?” Rulfio sounded surprised and amused. “Are these people in a gang?”

Billie laughed. “Yeah, old man. A small gang, not a big name. They probably work for big gang.” She turned to Daud. “What do you want me to do? Should we give the information to the City Guard?”

“That’s not our business. Leave them be. Burrows, pull the surveillance team from the hospital,” Daud said. “The King’s Theatre, what do we have on King’s Theatre?”

Everybody was looking at each other, confused. King’s Theatre had never been mentioned in this room.

"Are you suggesting that Free Morley holes up in King's Theater?" Rulfio asked finally. "It’s in the Royal District, the center of Wynnedown and swarmed with City Guard. It's not safe there." 

"It’s called hiding in plain sight," Daud said and groaned. His head suddenly felt too heavy. His fingers reached up to massage his temple.

Rulfio shook his head, baffled. "That sounds really foolish. The risk is just too high."

“Hiding in plain sight is never without a risk, old man,” Billie commented.

“I know. But they’re either very brave or very stupid to do that.”

Daud coughed, more to gain attention back to him rather than to clear his throat. “I have a lead from a source that wishes to remained unnamed-”

“An unnamed source?” Burrows frowned. “Daud, we have talked about this! You can’t just pull out a mysterious source and refuse to disclose their identity to me! I’m the Chief of Intelligence! I need to check the credibility of your source!”

“And I’m the Royal Spymaster, you’ll do as I say,” Daud countered. It wasn’t rare for the Royal Spymaster to pull his own source without confiding with their Chief of Intelligence. His predecessor did it all the time. Burrows didn’t say anything because he was licking Spymaster Trevelyan’s ass that time. “I can assure you they are trustworthy and that’s all I can say to tell you about my source.”

Burrows opened his mouth then shut it when Daud glared at him. He then settled with sulking on his chair with his arms crossed.

“My source, they gave me a name; Luke Donoghue, a playwright and the manager of King’s Theater.”

“Luke Donoghue?” Rulfio perked up. “I’m a fan of his works actually. He writes some great heroic and tragic plays.” All eyes stared at Rulfio with confusion and puzzlement. Billie’s lips quivered as she fought back the laughter from spilling out. “I have life outside this little island,” was Rulfio’s only defense.

“I know, Rulfio. But you watching a boring play?” Billie snickered. “I mean… c’mon!”

“We’re all allowed to do anything we like in our private life and it’s not our business,” Daud said. Going to a theatre was hardly comparable to what the other Top Hounds did in their free time; Billie visited the Golden Cat to search for someone who looked like her dead sweetheart, Burrows had a mistress and Daud slept with the High Overseer.

“Thank you, Daud. I appreciate that,” Rulfio said while glaring at Billie. “Anyway, like I said I’ve seen Donoghue’s works and studied it a bit. Donoghue has written various play but he’s famous for his war drama. No one portrays patriotism and nationalism as deeply as he does. His very first play actually is about Morley without a king and it’s entitled _Republic of Morley_.”

“Ooh a playwright who believe in Free Morley’s ideology,” Billie concluded. “He sounds like a Free Morley supporter.” She crossed her arms and grinned.

“Exactly my point,” Daud concurred. “Burrows, put surveillance on King’s Theatre and Luke Donoghue. I want a very thorough sweep in that building. Get the floor plan, find out who works there, all the regular patrons, anything. I also want you to follow Donoghue, find out who he has been talking to, check his letters, go to his house.”

Burrows didn’t say anything and jotted it down on his notepad.

Daud tried to draw a deep breath from his mouth. “While we’re focusing on the theatre, I want us to keep an eye on the criminal gangs too. They might do something dangerous in the future.”

“Well actually,” Burrows spoke up, cutting Daud’s words, “there’s something you should know. A report just arrive before the meeting started. My spy network found out Silver Cleaver is going to attack Harrington Whaling House two days later.”

Daud frowned when he heard Harrington Whaling House. Martin mentioned that name before.

“Harrington Whaling House was originally owned by Matthew Harrington,” Burrows continued, “he’s a Gristolan merchant. He inherited it to his son, Laurence. Harrington is the biggest whaling house in Wynnedown, bigger than local whaling house. And seeing that up until now Free Morley has targeted big Gristolan companies in Wynnedown, it’s about time they will attack Harrington.”

“Brennan,” Daud mumbled. He also remembered Martin had mentioned that name before. “Her father died in that whaling house,” he told them. No one batted an eye when he said that. 

“So it’s for revenge?” Rulfio guessed.

“Maybe both?” Billie suggested. “Why can’t it be both? Maybe the reason why Silver Cleaver joins Free Morley is because she wants revenge on Harrington.”

Burrows ignored them and turned to Daud. “What do you want us to do with this information? I don’t think we should get involved in this matter.”

“But this is a great opportunity to catch Silver Cleaver and weaken Free Morley’s force! We can lay an ambush,” Billie proposed, “have Aedan go to whaling house and lay some traps. We can capture Brennan and interrogate her.”

Two options in hand; which should he take? This was a prime chance to unearth Free Morley’s supporters but they didn’t really have too many men to spare. Daud closed his eyes and waited until the pounding on his head stopped. “The City Guard knows about this?” he asked Burrows

“As far as I know, no, they don’t,” Burrows replied.

“Who’s our agent inside the City Guard?” Daud asked again.

Burrows answered immediately, “Captain Liam O’brien.”

“Do we know where Silver Cleaver’s hideout?”

He took more time to answer it. “Somewhere in Lower Gorgom district.”

Daud went quiet and used the time to think. The cold really affected his brain. He tried to take a deep breath again. “Burrows, contact Captain O’brien, tell him about Silver Cleaver and have him convince the Guard to set an ambush. Let the City Guard deal with them. In the meantime, Aedan will go to their hideout, search for any proof for Brenna’s involvement with Free Morley.”

“Is that necessary?” Burrows asked. “If the City Guard success, they will have Brenan and they will make her talk.”

“I agree with Daud. We need to go to the Cleaver’s hideout,” Rulfio said, slightly breaking the tension. “We may have captured Brennan, but that doesn’t mean we can prove that she and her gang are a part of Free Morley. She can easily claim that the attack has nothing to do with them.”

“She’s a criminal,” Burrows pointed out, “a criminal whose service is bought by Free Morley. She doesn’t care about Free Morley, she just wants their coins.”

“Maybe she joins their cause because she believes in it?” Rulfio argued.

“I tell you, no criminal understands what a higher cause means.”

“But think about it,” Rulfio pressed further, “attacking private business like Harrington’s Whaling house will give Brennan… ten years… twenty years? She will be sent to Maraigh Prison, that’s it. Admitting to be involved with Free Morley? That’s treason; she will be hanged. I’d wager she will claim she has no connection with Free Morley.”

Burrows clenched his jaw, realizing Rulfio was right. 

“So we’re going to go after the Silver Cleaver first?” Billie asked. 

“That’s right,” Daud said, “hold Donoghue’s investigation. This is more urgent.” He took a deep breath once he realized that they had discussed everything he wanted to know. “You’re all dismissed.”

Daud heard footsteps walked towards the door and released a heavy breath after he was sure everyone had left. He slumped on his seat, shoulders sagged, and face turned up to the ceiling. With a loud groan, Daud clenched his fists into tight ball. His head was pounding, his throat was hurting, his nose was stuffy, and his fever wasn’t any better. How much he wanted to go back to sleep now. He was tired…

“Sir?” A voice and a hand on his shoulder.

Daud jerked awake. His eyes snapped open and he flicked his left wrist, his wristbow at the ready. He lowered his weapon when he saw Thomas was backing away from him. The young man was holding a vial of red liquid.

“Medicine, sir.” Thomas raised the red liquid. “For your cold.”

Daud took the medicine and drank it. It had the same stale ale taste like the medicine Martin gave him this morning.

“What’s my schedule for the rest of the day?”

“Right after this, meeting with treasury, sir. And then you have your weekly meeting with the empress at five.”

Daud hid face behind his gloved hands. He didn’t want to deal with numbers in this condition. “Cancel my meeting with treasury.” He pulled out his pocket watch. He still had time for quick nap. “Prepare my boat accordingly. I don’t want to be disturbed until then.”

“Anything else, sir?”

“No. You may leave.”

Once Thomas left him, Daud forced himself to get up and walked to the spare bedroom in his office for a nap.

***

To his surprise, Corvo was waiting for him in the waterlock system when he arrived.

“You look like shit,” Corvo said. 

_That_ didn’t surprise him at all.

“Fuck you, Attano.” Daud walked past him and bumped him on the shoulder. He almost lost his balance because of that but he continued walking with an umbrella. The rain hadn’t stopped yet so he opened his umbrella and continued walking towards the Tower.

It only took Corvo a few seconds to catch up with him. He leaned closer once he was close to Daud and whispered, “I wrote to Martin yesterday. I asked him to keep you at home.”

Huh, so that was why Martin showed up with medicine. “We’re not you and Jessamine.”

Corvo frowned, not sure from how crude Daud’s remark was or from noticing the sway in Daud’s steps. “You should be in bed.”

“I’ll be once we’re done with our meeting,” Daud pointed out.

“We’ll be if you can walk faster,” Corvo countered.

Daud just groaned and they walked across the courtyard. Corvo was practically hovering around Daud as if he was expecting Daud to collapse. Bastard.

“Jessamine is under a lot of stress lately,” Corvo told him, “this whole thing with Free Morley put a great toll on her mind.”

“Yeah, mine too,” Daud muttered dryly.

Corvo gave him a sideway glance and continued, “I hope you have a good news to cheer her up.”

“I think showing up with snot dripping from my nose will be enough to amuse her.”

Corvo grimaced. “That’s gross.”

Daud just scoffed and continued walking towards the Tower.

“But seriously, Daud. Please be easy on her, alright? I don’t want her to be more upset. Even Emily looks worried.”

“You’re her bodyguard, Corvo, not her father. Stop-” Daud clenched his jaw when a burst of headache hit him. The wind in the courtyard wasn’t ideal for his condition. “Stop fretting,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Daud…” Corvo was begging right now.

Daud massaged his temple. He didn’t have any good news for Jessamine nor did he have bad news. “I’ll try not to anger her.”

The relief sigh that escaped from Corvo’s mouth was a little bit offending. “That’s all what I’m asking for you.” 

Daud opened his mouth but ended up sneezing. Oh fuck. “I’m fine,” he said before he sneezed again. Damn it!

Corvo winced and looked a little bit guilty. “Your mother would kill me if she knew that.”

Daud scoffed. His mother did that once when they were kids. They fell to river and they got sick and his mother basically trying to murder them with her rants. “Good thing my mother is dead,” Daud mumbled.

Corvo glowered at him. “You have a very questionable sense of humor, my friend.”

Daud thought about Martin then chuckled to himself.

“Speaking of your mother,” Corvo said, “you were recruited right after she died, weren’t you?”

The question caught him off guard. The memory of his mother breathing her last breath on her bed came back to his mind. Him running away from his home and stumbling into Chief of Special Operation Trevelyan. He had met him before the day of his mother’s death. Trevelyan had watched Daud for sometimes and tried to recruit Daud twice but he failed. But that day – that sorrowful day when he lost the most important person in his life – Daud found something in Trevelyan’s green eyes; something that looked like understanding that offered him a getaway from his pain. He still remembered Trevelyan’s face - grim and solemn – as he offered his hand and said, _”Come with me.”_

Daud – sixteen and heartbroken and lost – accepted the offer.

“Yes, I was,” Daud replied.

Daud caught a glimpse of a Royal Guard running towards them from the Tower’s direction. He stopped right in front of them and panted heavily and completely drenched with rain. He didn’t use any umbrella.

“Lord Spymaster,” he said between heavy panting, “a message for you, m’lord, from Kingsparrow. You’re requested to go back as soon as possible for an important debriefing. Agent Brun has arrived.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** panic attack and mention of dubcon

Kieron Brun was one of Daud’s first recruits for Whaler Program. He used to be a conman, living his life by scamming nobles or sleeping with them in order to gain a lavish place to sleep or a delicious meal to fill his stomach. With his uncanny ability to change his accent and his voice, he could act as a Tyvian servant or a Serkonan aristocrat easily, fooling everyone with his charming smile as he robbed them blind. Sometimes they gave their coins willingly only to realize a moment too late that they had been tricked. Needless to say he was a very cunning man. Daud knew he needed people like him in his ranks.

“Took you long enough, old man,” Billie greeted him when he disembarked from his boat.

Daud narrowed his eyes at Billie and just stared at her for a while. He wasn’t expecting her to be here at this hour. It was Friday and it was already past her shift, she usually had gone home and curled up with her girlfriend in their stinky apartment.

“C’mon, hurry up! Burrows’ keeping Kieron in his office and banned me to enter for some reasons,” she demanded.

Daud shut his eyes and pinched his nose’s bridge. Void be damned, he needed to sleep. “Kieron’s in Burrows’ office?” He didn’t mean his words to come out slurred but it did. Lack of proper sleep combined with stress could do that to human being.

“Kieron is in Intel and technically Burrows’ subordinate, that bald bastard said I’m not needed for his debriefing,” she explained, voice tensed with barely concealed anger. “Fuck Burrows! He just escorted Kieron right to his office! Kieron’s my friend, Daud. I should be allowed to see him.”

It was a privilege earn through hardship to call someone in their line of work as friends. Despite the conflicting personalities, Billie and Kieron forged a strange friendship only they knew and understood. They had a bond shared between the first recruits of Whaler Program. Daud recruited seven people; they were the only one who survived and became a full fledge ORS agents.

“Daud, let’s go! He’ll allow me to be present during the debriefing if you’re there.” 

Daud palmed his face and groaned. He understood Billie’s trepidation but Kieron was a field agent who worked for Intel division. According to procedure, he reported to Burrows so that bald bastard didn’t do anything wrong besides being an asshole.

“I assume you’re the one who summoned me here,” Daud said.

Billie grinned. “You bet, old man.”

A sigh escaped his lips. “Where’s Rulfio? Let’s make this a Top Hound meeting.”

“Rulfio has gone home. He needs his rest.”

Another sigh, heavier and wearier this time. “And I need mine too.”

Intelligence Division was on the fort’s east wing; the sleepless wing as he liked to call it. There was no rest for everyone in this division. Stream of coded messages came to Kingsparrow and broadcasted to ORS stations in other cities. There were people who worked on processing the messages, deciphering them, making reports, sent them to Burrows, and eventually sent them to Daud.

“Daud? What you’re doing here?” Burrows protested loudly when he and Billie came into his office without knocking.

“I’m taking over,” Daud announced while trying so hard to keep his steps from swaying. Fuck. He was so tired.

Burrows’ office was as big as Billie’s but it seemed bigger because Burrows was way neater than Billie. Grey wall and grey floor. Filling cabinets lined up one wall to keep his notes. The center piece of the room was Burrows’ polished wooden desk that was as big as his ego. The man himself was seated behind the desk and he glared at them with such ferocity that irritated Daud. Seated across Burrows was the star of the day; Kieron Brun.

Everyone who had met Kieron agreed that he was a very handsome man. Kieron knew he had a very good looking face and he used it for his benefit. Combined with his convincing acting ability, he could seduce men and women easily. He was a confident man by nature. He was cocky, brash, and always smirking during his debriefing.

There was no trace of that cocky man in Kieron right now.

“Hi Boss,” Kierron greeted him with clear polished Gristolan accent, not his natural Morleyan accent. He sounded grim and weary. The deep dark circles under his eyes was contrasting his unnaturally pale face. It was clear he hadn’t got enough sleep for days. There was mud caking his boots. His clothes were crumpled and dirty. His black hair had grown long enough to reach his shoulder. A full grown beard adorned his face. His usually bright blue eyes were dull and red and sunken.

“You look like you have a fucking terrible journey, my friend,” Billie commented.

Kieron turned his eyes to Billie but didn’t say anything. After a while he looked at Burrows. “Can I continue? I’m tired.”

Daud narrowed his eyes. It was a strange behavior. Kieron didn’t like Burrows and now he tried to hide behind Burrows?

“No,” Daud interjected, “repeat from the start. Burrows, move. I need to sit down.”

Burrows’ eyes grew comically wide. “What?! No! This is _my_ office! You’re the one who barge in, uninvited, then distu-”

Daud walked towards Burrows and leaned forward at him. He glared and hissed, “Move.”

Burrows reluctantly got up on his feet and let Daud took his chair. Billie had already taken the chair besides Kieron and she was talking to Kieron. With nowhere else to sit, Burrows had to stand beside his own desk. Daud ignored the sudden urge to laugh at that bastard.

“Kieron,” Daud called out, “tell me what happened in Alba. Tell me how you’re still alive.”

Kieron didn’t say anything at first. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. His eyes met Daud’s, looking lost, exhausted, and miserable.

“Kieron,” Billie said softly, “talk.”

Kieron looked at Billie, bowed his head, and breathed out another sigh. When he looked up, his posture changed. He stood with his back straight and his eyes hardened.

“On the 13th day of Month of Wind, someone called Laura came to Crimson Waters’ hideout to make a deal with the Waters’ leader, Travis. After the meeting, Travis told us that we’re accepting a new job. He said it was ‘special delivery’ – that’s his exact words. They agreed to meet in our base on 16th day. He didn’t told us anything else. Using my position as his lieutenant, I managed to uncover small bit of information. Laura claimed she was a part of an important group and they were willing to pay a big sum of money for this delivery. Travis didn’t know who she’s working for but I had a guess. I went to meet Fergus that night in our usual meeting place and told him about the meeting.”

Daud raised his hand, stopping Kieron. “Tell me more about your meeting with Fergus. Where did you meet? How did you make sure you weren’t being followed?”

“Fergus posed as my lover and we had weekly meeting in an inn – the Journey’s End inn - in the outskirt of Alba. I also posed as a homosexual and never hid it from The Waters. I also told Travis I had a male lover so he wouldn’t get suspicious when I went to see Fergus. I used urchins to deliver my coded messages to Fergus.”

It certainly didn’t go as planned in the end. Daud coughed a bit then said, “Continue.”

“On the 16th day, Laura came with two other men – Ginger Jack and Rod. I was there during the meeting – as Travis’ lieutenant. During the meeting I discovered their true intention. They wanted to sail to Gristol with forty people and two crates full of weapons. When I asked him the purpose of their voyage, they just said that they had a business in Dunwall. Travis then asked if they were Free Morley in which Rod answered that they were. Travis tried to decline but they offered a very big sum of coins so he accepted it. We were going to sail to Gristol right in the next day so after the meeting was finished, I sent a message to Fergus, asking for a meeting. We met in Journey’s End at eleven in the night, I told him Free Morley was at Alba and they hired Crimson Waters to sail to Gristol. Fergus also told me that he just received a message from Armagh – a village near Alba – that a suspicious group just came through the village. Just when I was about to ask more about that… people came into our room.”

Kieron was keeping a straight face the whole time, his voice steady and impassive. Daud noticed he was slightly shifting in his seat. A quick glance down at his hands on the desk confirmed Daud’s suspicion on how nervous Kieron was feeling right now. Kieron kept clenching and unclenching his fist.

“Just keep talking, Kieron,” Billie urged him while reaching for his shoulder. It seemed Daud wasn’t the only one who notice that.

Kieron breathed in and his posture relaxed a bit. “Six people came into our room. Travis, Ginger Jack, and four Crimson Waters’ thugs. Travis told me that Jimmy – Fergus-” he quickly corrected the name- “was a spy. Jack claimed he saw Fergus exchanging a letter with another spy near the clock shop – it’s the one who deliver the message from Armagh to Fergus. Rod recognized the messenger, claimed that he saw the messenger following them. Rod caught the messenger and found out he worked for ORS. He then concluded Fergus was a spy and I was a spy as well.”

A pause. Kieron drew in a heavy breath. He closed his eyes, jaw clenched tight. When he opened them, his eyes were slightly teary.

“After that Jack pulled out his gun and shot Fergus,” he said. “Travis then talked for me and managed to convince Jack that I wasn’t a spy. They took me back to the Waters’ headquarter – a warehouse near the port – to talk about our next move. We arrived at midnight. Travis, Jack, and Rod were talking about their next move. Travis knew Fergus’ cover as Jimmy MacMahon the clockmaker so they were going to attack MacMahon Clock Shop. While they were talking, I wrote a letter and sent it to the shop. Fergus told me he had Quinn to look after the station when he was gone.”

“Were you there during the meeting?” Burrows asked.

“I was but I acted like I was heartbroken. It wasn’t hard to convince them. I had my lover killed so I was just moping in the corner while scribbling the letter to Quinn. After the meeting was finished, I went out to find an urchin and sent the letter. I could only guess that Free Morley didn’t know about the letter.”

Quinn did receive the letter. Daud would say that Free Morley really didn’t know about the letter.

“I tried to postpone the attack as long as I could to buy more times. Around two in the morning, Travis ordered us to go to the clock shop. He took five of his men – including myself, I had to convince him to take me-”

“Why did you need to convince him?” Burrows asked again.

Kieron snorted, surprising everyone in the room. “Apparently my acting was so convincing, Travis suggested I took a rest.” He grinned. 

Burrows narrowed his eyes. “And how did you convince this Travis to take you?”

Kieron’s face hardened once again. “It doesn’t matter,” he mumbled. “He let me in me and we went to MacMahon’s Clock with Jack and Rod. Once we got there, we started open fire. Someone killed Douglas and I pretended to kill Fiona and helped her to escape. After that, the second floor exploded. We ran away before the fire caught the first floor. Rod saw someone coming out from the building. It was Quinn, I believe.”

“Who’s this Rod?” Burrows cut him. “He was the one who saw through Connolly’s cover. He almost got you. He caught the messenger from Armagh. He also saw Hayes fled from the shop. Who is this person? Is he a gang member?”

“He’s not in a gang. He’s one of the student who started the Free Morley and he’s one of their generals. He’s very perceptive, sharp eyes and quick wit. He’s still young, early twenty I guess. He’s the only non-gang member in that entourage as far as I know.”

“The others are in a gang?” Burrows inquired further.

“Green Vipers and Black Eyes. I don’t know who is who, they didn’t really introduce themselves. I sway Jack to tell me but he didn’t really help me with that.”

“Jack told you? Ginger Jack, the leader of Green Vipers?” Burrows raised his eyebrow. “How?”

“Why don’t we let him finish his story first before you start asking question?” Billie snapped at Burrows.

Just before Burrows could say anything, Daud immediately said, “Let Kieron finish his story.” He turned to Kieron. “Continue.”

Kieron sighed. “Rod then took some of his men and tried to track Quinn. He didn’t involve the Waters, we were just waiting for them in our hideout. It took him a day to track Quinn and killed him. Well, he said he killed Quinn but I don’t know if he’s telling the truth or not.”

“We found Quinn’s body in the dock,” Daud told him.

Kieron turned to Daud with wide tired eyes then he turned his gaze to the floor and mumbled, “Of course.”

Billie’s hand reached for his shoulder and squeezed. She didn’t say anything but it was enough for Kieron apparently.

“We sailed to Gristol on the 18th day around eleven in the night. Travis took ten people including me to the _Ler_ \- our ship. Sixteen of the Vipers including Ginger Jack himself. Fifteen of the Black Eyes and there’s also Rod. So in total, thirty two people.”

Thirty two people; the number was a bit worrisome. Why did they need so many people? What was their plan?

“I used the time on the _Ler_ to find more information. I-” Kieron’s voice wavered. He closed his mouth, took a deep breath, and continued, “Jack made a move on me, he showed interest, and I used the chance get close to him.”

“And by getting close,” Burrows cut in, “do you mean sexually?”

Kieron’s shoulders slumped even further. He averted his gaze from them all and opted to stare at the floor instead. “Yeah.”

Billie slammed her hands on the table and glared at Kieron. “What the fuck, Kieron? You slept with the man who killed Quinn? Your friend?”

Kieron surprised everyone in the room by snarling back at Billie. He leaned forward to Billie and bared his teeth like an angry dangerous feline. “Do you think I wanted to sleep with Jack? Do you think I wanted to spend three years with smugglers and did all of their ill biding like a willing servant? I didn’t want to do that but I did it because that’s my job. What I did on that fucking boat with that fucking man – what I always do – is precisely what ORS requires me to do. Do you think it’s easy to do that? Do you? You kill people, Billie, but I do much more than that! I kill, I deceive, I seduce, and I sell myself in order to do my job. You don’t have the right to judge me!”

Kieron’s outburst stunned them to silence. Kieron wasn’t the most patience man in the world – in fact he was quite hot headed and easy to irritate – but he never went to full rage rant like this. Daud had never heard him complain about his job. He always accepted his assignment with an air of cockiness and overconfident. When he finished it, he went back looking pretty rough but always with a smirk on his face. 

What happened to him?

“I see,” Billie murmured. “I’m sorry.”

Kieron grumbled but eventually continued, “So yes, I slept with Jack. It took times to make him talk, I didn’t dump my questions all at once to avoid suspicion. This is what I’ve found; Free Morley hired Green Vipers at first to hijack City Guard’s supply carriage before Jack finally decided to support the cause because he believed in it. He decided to get involved so one day Brenan from the Cleaver took him under her wing.”

“Really?” Burrows sounded intrigued. “Did he tell anything? A name or a place?”

“He did actually,” Kieron replied, “I know names of their generals.”

Burrows looked excited. There was a glint in his eyes that made him look dangerous, like a vulture who found a corpse to feed. It was a rather disturbing sight.

“This is what I know about Free Morley’s leadership. There are four generals who deliver order to their supporters; one of them is Rod, and there’s another student named Keane, Brenan from the Silver Cleaver, and the last one is one of the artist or writer. Jack doesn’t know him, they haven’t met.”

An artist or a writer. That sounded like someone he knew. “Luke Donoghue?” Daud guessed.

“The famous playwright?” Kieron glared at Billie when she threw him a surprised and confused look. “What? I need to know what the nobles are watching when I mingle with the high society.”

“Rulfio is Donoghue’s fans,” Billie told him.

Kieron’s jaw dropped. “Fuck you! He likes Donoghue? Old Rulfio?”

“Yeah. Crazy right? He knows the first play Donoghue wrote. I think he has watched every pla-”

Daud coughed, successfully silencing Billie. His throat hurt. “Kieron, continue please. There are only the generals? No leader?”

“There’s a leader but no one knows who they are except for the four generals,” Kieron explained. “They give the orders and helps with the funds. That’s all I know.”

Daud leaned back to his chair and took his time to ponder on this new findings. Free Morley had a mysterious leader who funded their operation and wanted to stay hidden. Probably because they were someone with well-respected background; someone rich enough to fund an entire rebellion.

“Burrows, Billie,” Daud said to his chiefs, “I want Brenan behind the bars this weekend and I want you to make sure she can’t get away from treason and I want her to talk about her enigmatic leader. She’s one of the generals. She would know who he is.”

Burrows sighed. “I’ll make sure Captain O’Brien know about that.”

They still needed to find Donoghue and interrogate him. Fuck. They didn’t have enough men to do them all at once. Sending a new group from Dunwall would take time. It was up to Aedan and his team. Daud sighed. He should gave Aedan and his team a bonus.

“Agent Brun, did Jack say anything about Free Morley’s hideout?” Burrows asked. “Anything?”

“Jack usually meets with Brennan in the cleavers’ hideout since he takes the order from her.” Kieron crossed his arms, thinking harder. “He also mentioned the King’s Theatre. He claimed Free Morley has weekly meeting there but he hasn’t gone there in person.”

At least he got that one right. Daud turned to Burrows and saw him nod his head in silent acknowledgement.

“Did you know why they’re heading to Dunwall?” Daud finally asked the most important question. Although he had a guess, he still needed to know. “Are they going to assassinate the empress?”

Kierron shook his head. “No, they’re not here for the empress.”

The sound of the rain made the silence that followed sounded louder.

“They’re not here for the empress?!” Burrows repeated, bewildered. “What do they want?”

“They want to kidnap Lady Emily,” Kieron answered, “they want to use her as a leverage.”

Oh, fuck! Of course they would do that. Fuck, they had been so dumb. Fuck the void, he was dumb and blind! What was the purpose of killing the empress if they could use Emily as a leverage? They could force Jessamine to grant them the independence they desired for.

“We should do something to ensure the princess’ safety,” Billie said.

“I’ll talk to Her Majesty afte-” Daud coughed once, twice, and one last loud cough that drew worried stare from Billie and Kieron. Fuck. It was like his body was betraying his mind. “I’ll talk to Her Majesty tomorrow.”

“You better be or else we’re doomed!” Burrows said.

Daud glared at him. Burrows glared back at him.

“I’m still wondering, why you’re here, Kieron.” Billie suddenly asked. “You’re supposed to be with your crew. Why you’re here? Where are the others?”

“I escaped from the _Ler_ ,” Kieron answered, “I need to or else I can’t deliver this information before it’s too late. When we passed Artenton three days ago, I took the skiff then stole a horse and rode to Dunwall as fast as I could.”

Daud’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. “Artenton?”

“Yes, Artenton.” Kieron sounded confused by Daud’s reaction. “It’s the closest village to Dunwall with easy access from the sea. I also know a secure route the Waters take to go to Dunwall that saved me a lot of time.”

Billie cursed under her breath while Burrows looked like he wanted to murder someone. Daud merely groaned because his headache suddenly became almost unbearable.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Kieron looked around, confused and worried.

The three of them shared a look before Billie finally told Kieron, “We sent a team to Artenton four days ago. We thought the Waters would dock at Artenton. The Waters usually docks there before they go to Dunwall, don’t they?”

“They do but it’s not where Rod wants us to dock,” Kieron said.

Daud’s heart was hammering behind his ribcages. He was sure the shaking in his hands wasn’t from his cold. “Where?”

Kieron’s eyes snapped back to Daud. “Whitecliff. They’re going to Whitecliff then continue to Dunwall with horses.”

Billie and Burrows both cursed and yelled something while Daud could only shut his eyes and tried to block their voices by pressing his hands to his ears. Dread and panic washed over him like a wave. Fuck. They fucked up. They might have arrived at Whitecliff and made their way to Dunwall. Fuck.

“Whitecliff?” Billie asked incredulously. “Why Whitecliff? It’s like a week journey to Dunwall from there. The army has a base there too, right?”

“Don’t ask me. I wasn’t the one who made the decision,” Kieron argued. 

“Are you sure they’re going to Whitecliff?” Burrows urged.

“Yes, of course. Rod wants to dock at Whitecliff, claiming that it’s is safer than Artenton. He said that people would set an ambush at Artenton which I believe he’s right.”

Fuck! They knew ORS was spying on them. These people were smart. That bastard Rod was smart. It wouldn’t be hard for him to guess their action. Damn that man! Fuck him to the Void! How could he let himself being outsmarted by a fucking kid!

Burrows grumbled something before he turned to Daud. “We should do something really quickly. Order Artenton team to retreat. Coordinate a search party with Whitecliff stati-”

“Shut up, Burrows! I’m thinking!” Daud snapped and banged his fist on the table, causing a sharp pain flared behind his eyelids. He really needed to sleep. “Send Feodor to my office. I need to send a letter.” He needed the 

He needed to write a letter to Curnow, asking him to coordinate with the Whitecliff City Watch to search for Free Morley. But would it be too late? City Watch didn’t have ORS transmitter to deliver news. He also doubted the Watch still used pigeon as a messenger.

“Daud,” Billie called for him, “you’re awake?”

Daud’s eyes snapped open. He didn’t realize he was starting to doze off. “Send word to Artenton, I want them back. Billie, how many men you have in Whitecliff?”

“Not much.” She paused to remember the numbers. “Three?”

Three people wasn’t enough to fight against thirty two people. His men might win but Daud didn’t really want to take that chance. There wasn’t much they could do except for one thing. 

“Send them to track those Free Morley bastards,” Daud told Billie.

Billie’s lips curled up. “As you wish.”

Daud turned to Burrows. “Do we have-”

“We don’t have any agents between Dunwall to Whitecliff,” Burrows cut in. 

“Alright,” Daud murmured to himself. He breathed out a long sigh. “Billie, Burrows, do what you have to do. Kieron, come with me.”

Burrows and Billie narrowed their gazes on Daud. Kieron shot him a confused look, his blue eyes widened almost comically like he hadn’t expected it. Daud ignored them and got up from Burrows’ seat while Kieron was staring at him, dumbfounded. After Daud glared at him, Kieron finally got up and followed him.

The elevator ride up to the Lighthouse was spent in silence. Kieron was too nervous to start a conversation while Daud was too busy watching Kieron and studying the tension that plagued his shoulders and jaw. He looked more tired than when he was in Burrows’ office, as if the prospect of talking add another point of exhaustion. He was averting his eyes from Daud’s the whole time. When they gazes did met, Kieron quickly turned away.

Interesting. He was hiding something from Daud.

Once the elevator reached its destination, they continued to walk in silence. Daud took Kieron into the penthouse and led him straight to the guest room in the lower level where Daud usually entertained his guests. It was a sparsely decorated room with red curtains covering the windows and a big potted plan residing one corner of the room. Daud ordered Kieron to sit on the couch while Daud took the one across from him. Small table separated them, leaving enough distance for Kieron to cower away from Daud. He was still refusing to meet Daud’s eyes.

“Kieron,” Daud called his name. He noticed the subtle jerk on Kieron’s shoulders. “Kieron, don’t hide anything from us.”

Kieron’s eyes widened before they were narrowed and hardened into a cold gaze. He didn’t say anything. His lips was set into a thin line. 

“Something happened in Alba,” Daud guessed, “something you don’t want to share with us.”

Kieron still kept his mouth shut.

“Kieron,” Daud said, lowering his tone, “tell me.”

Kieron’s breathing hitched but he still refused to say anything.

Daud’s mind tried to piece every bit of Kieron’s strange behavior during the debriefing. The pause during his explanation, the outburst. There was a certain topic that gouged those reactions; Fergus’ death. Daud took a deep breath before he said, “Kieron, who killed Fergus?”

It was the question that finally broke Kieron.

It was painful to see someone like Kieron going through a great break down like this. Daud watched as he curled up and pressed his palms into his face, his whole body was shaking violently. His cry was loud and full of grief, heart wrenching. It was hard to drop a persona after a long period of acting. Kieron had retained his cover for three years and whatever happened in Alba caused a great trauma that had been left untreated for far too long. Daud couldn’t even fathom how Kieron could kept it together for all this time.

It felt like an eternity until Kieron could finally gain control of himself again. 

“I killed Fergus,” Kieron confessed between sobs, “I shot him.”

Daud clenched his jaw and tried to keep his face blank. He had guessed that much but the revelation still shocked him. He took a deep breath and waited for Kieron.

“They made me do it,” Kieron continued, his natural heavy Morleyan accent slipped in; a testament of how broken he was right now. He looked up from his hands with tears running down his eyes “That night in that hotel room, Rod wanted to kill both of us but Travis… Travis said no and… and he tried to convince Rod to spare me. Jack then ordered me to kill Fergus, to prove that I’m not a spy. He ordered me to shoot him or else… I’d die. There were ten… Twelve… I don’t remember, there were a lot of people, too many I couldn’t… I couldn’t… I…”

Daud waited patiently as Kieron tried to breathe. His hands came to the side of his head and started pulling at his hair. Daud quickly dashed to Kieron’s side – causing his head to spin a bit from the sudden movement – and held Kieron’s hands. “Kieron, don’t. You’re hurting yourself.”

Kieron seemed to pay no attention to Daud’s words. His body was shaking so badly, his gaze distant as tears kept pouring from his eyes.

“Kieron, breathe,” Daud reminded him. To his dismay, Kieron gave no immediate response. Void be damned. This wasn’t the right time to have shell shocked agent, not when he was too weak to even care for his own health. Through the haze of his pounding head, Daud forced himself to say slowly and clearly, “Kieron, you’re in Gristol, in Kingsparrow. It’s seven in the evening and you’re safe.”

Daud needed to repeat it twice to bring Kieron back. He stopped shaking, his breathing slowed. 

When those blue eyes focused once again to Daud, they were red and looked lost. “I killed him, Boss,” he said while retracting his hands from Daud’s grasp. The tears had stopped now, leaving a wet trail on his face. “I killed Fergus.”

Daud put his hands on Kieron’s shoulders. “You had your reason.”

“There were too many people. I was outnumbered. They had their guns pointed at me and I had no choice. If I didn’t kill him, they would kill us both. If we were both dead, there was no way you would know about Free Morley coming to Dunwall. I shot him so I could send words to the station. It’s my job to find information and deliver to you. The empire’s safety is on the stake. I can’t… I was… just doing my job.”

Daud nodded his head and squeezed Kieron’s shoulders. He didn’t say anything to him.

“But I killed him… I bloody did! His death is on my hand.” His voice wavered and heavy with resignation. “Do you think what I did is right? Do you think I shouldn’t… kill him?”

It was a tough question. What would he do if he were in that situation? Should he abandoned the mission and tried to save his friend even though the chance was slim? Should he continued with the charade and live with the knowledge that his friend’s death was on him? Fergus and Kieron were like him and Corvo. They were best friends; people even called them the Morleyan Brothers despite the lack of blood ties. Fergus had always been Kieron’s handler even after he became Alba’s chief of station. There were inseparable and now one of them was dead, killed by the other one because of their job.

Daud didn’t know if he would have the courage to kill Corvo if he were in Kieron’s position.

“You did what you thought was right,” Daud replied.

Kieron shook his head, clearly dissatisfied with Daud’s answer. “But is it right? Is it right to kill my friend for… for the empire?”

This was the question that had been asked countless time, one Daud knew the answer without even thinking about it. He was sure Kieron knew the answer. He didn’t become one of the best agents in ORS without dumping his moral aside and snuffing the small flicker of compassion within him. But there was a difference between knowing and actually hearing the answer spoken loudly and clear to his face. There was power in spoken words, power that Daud hoped could stir Kieron back from the path of self-destruction he was currently in.

“There’s no right or wrong in our line of work, there’s only your mission. We’re living in the grey area of the world where the light and dark blend together. We’re the one who sullies themselves so other people can live blissfully ignorant of the conspiracy and lies around them. We’re the hoarder of secret and it isn’t something that comes without a price. Its price isn’t cheap and it’s demanding. You traded Fergus’ life for a secret, a very valuable secret that worth more than coins or gold. You traded your friend’s life for that.

“Now you’re here, in Kingsparrow. You made it back with this secret and you’ve told us everything. With this – this information – we can plan the next move to prevent a war. Fergus’ death was not in vain. You’re the one that made his death counts.”

Kieron’s eyes started glistening once again and he quickly bowed his head, averting Daud’s eyes once again. Daud thought he would break down once again. He was glad he was proven wrong when Kieron opened his mouth and continued his tale.

“I still remember his eyes, Boss, Fergus’ eyes. He didn’t say anything but his eyes… Outsider’s ball, his bloody eyes. They were big, teary. He was scared. I’ve never seen him so scared like that and we’ve been through some fucking horrible missions together. I saw his lips moving, mouthing something that I couldn’t hear. His voice drowned as my blood was ringing loudly in my ears, my heart was beating too fast, and my hand was shaking and cold. I looked around, to guns pointing at me, to Rod, to Jack, to Travis. I knew what I had to do so I looked back down at Fergus once more, meeting his gaze. He knew he would die. There wasn’t any resignation there only fear. Big fucking fear and panic and disbelief. He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to die in my hands. And then I pulled the trigger.

“It was happening so fast but for me it stretched for hours and hours and hours. I watched his body tumble back to the floor. His eyes wide and lifeless. I was just staring at his body for who knows how long. Just staring. I just killed my best friend and my best friend died looking at my face, the face of his killer.”

Kieron’s shoulder sagged down as he sighed.

“I didn’t remember coming back to the Waters headquarter, it was all a blur. When I came back to myself, I set my mind on my mission. I’d make sure I get every essential information or else Fergus’ death would be in vain. At some point during our journey, Jack came to me and seduced me. I saw it as a chance to get more information so I jumped on his bed. It made my skin crawled when he touched me. I’ve never felt so soiled and you know I’ve been the bait for numerous honey trap mission. I’ve slept with worst people but those nights spent on Jack’s bed felt like rolling in a pile of shit. But it didn’t matter how I felt, right? I did what I had to do. I always do.”

Daud patted Kieron’s shoulders and withdrew. He leaned back to his couch and inspected the man in front of him. Kieron wouldn’t be available as field agent for a long time with this mental scar. Daud needed to talk to Burrows about this eventually. They needed to make an arrangement for Kieron; a temporary post as a case officer or a teaching post? He also needed an appointment with a physician to check on his physical and mental health.

“Do you have any place to stay tonight?” Daud asked. When he saw Kieron shook his head, he continued, “Stay at Billie’s place then wait for your next instruction.”

Kieron gave a small nod. “Alright, Boss.”

“You’re dismissed.” 

Daud watched Kieron walked away in silence. After Kieron was gone, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He felt drained to the core and ready to pass out anytime soon. His entire plan to prevent the Free Morley from entering Dunwall was useless. He miscalculated. He wasted his precious limited times for nothing. Fuck the void, this whole mess was really frustrating.

Daud then waited until he had the strength to drag himself back to his office. It turned out rest wasn’t a luxury he could enjoy tonight. He still got some letters to be written after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Daud woke up feeling slightly warm but less miserable compared to the previous day.

He didn’t went home last night and slept in the spare bedroom in his office. He had too many letters to write last night – or had Feodor write them for him. By the time he finished, he had no energy left to go back home. He practically collapsed on his bed after he downed a health potion, still in his Spymaster outfit except for the overcoat. His shirt was wrinkled beyond saving and it was uncomfortably damp from sweats. When he focused his eyes on the window, he could see rays of sunlight sneaked into his room from behind the heavy curtain. Daud got up and walked towards the window, grimacing when sunlight hit his eyes when he opened the curtain. He took a glance at the clock in his desk. It was close to twelve.

Fuck.

He had no aide today so he needed to do everything by himself; ordering the Lighthouse household staff to prepare his food and bath then order his own boatride. He ended up arriving at the Tower around two because of those inconveniences. He had gotten used to Thomas taking care of things like that. He had to give him a bonus, big bonus.

Daud was halfway across the courtyard when he caught the glance of child dressed in white hiding behind a large vase not far from him. He looked around and saw Calista across the courtyard looking around. There was a faint laughter coming from behind the vase, a familiar high pitched laughter that should be annoying but had grown on him; Emily.

“Emily, come out,” Daud called out.

Emily giggled and came out from her hiding place. Her white clothes were stained with dust and dirt. Leaves stuck in her hair. Judging from her appearance, she had been playing hide and seek with Calista. She really loved that game for some reasons.

“Daud! I think you wouldn’t come!” Emily said with a smile. “Mother said you’re going to meet her after lunch but you didn’t show up and Corvo told me that you’re ill so maybe you wouldn’t come and here you are! Are you really ill? You don’t look too good.”

Emily’s long rambling made his ears rang. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t prepared for this.

“Do you have a fever?” Emily tried to reach up and stood in her tip toe.

Startled and mildly perturbed, Daud took one step back, away from Emily.

“C’mon now, Daud! You look sick! I want to know if you’re sick or not!” She kept trying to reach for his head.

He took another step back. 

“Kneel down! I want to touch your forehead!” she cried out while trying to reach for his forehead. 

At this point, he was aware of eyes staring at him intently. 

“Oh for the stars above! Lady Emily, you can’t say that to Lord Spymaster!” came the horrified voice of Calista from behind Daud’s back. She was running right to Emily and put her hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, m’lord. She’s being rude to you,” she said to Daud and to Emily she said, “Apologize to Lord Spymaster.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong!” Emily protested.

“You’re disturbing Lord Spymaster, Lady Emily,” Calista hissed.

“But I just want to touch his forehead! Mother always touches my forehead when I have a fever to feel if I’m burning or not! I’m just doing what Mother does!”

Daud took a deep breath and massaged his slightly throbbing temple. What had he done to deserve this? Somehow he could hear someone who laughing at him from deep within the Void.

“Where’s your mother, Emily?” Daud asked the little lady.

“The last time I saw her, Mother was in her study! I think she’s still there waiting for you. And oh, Corvo is with her too, I suppose,” she replied.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon so of course Corvo was with her. Where would he be? Daud would definitely need to knock the door. Loudly. He wouldn’t make the same mistake for the third time.

“C’mon! I’ll take you to her!” Emily’s face broke into a smile once more as she grasped his gloved hand and started to drag him with her.

Daud could easily shove her away, but he didn’t have the heart to shove her away. He let her to lead him to the Tower while she was blabbering loudly about her days, obliviously unaware of Daud’s discomfort. The guards in the doors snickered when they saw them but they immediately shut their mouths when Daud sent a death glare at their direction. Calista trailed behind him and Emily while she was busy with Daud, keeping a safe distance between her and Daud.

When they reached the rooftop, Emily let go of his hand and turned around to face him. The change on her posture was immediate and apparent. There gone her smile; her bright eyes looked grim and scared. Daud felt uncomfortable by this change.

“Hey, Daud. Can I ask you something?” Emily asked in a hushed whisper.

“What is it?”

“Mother looks scared lately and Corvo seems upset because of that. When I asked them what’s wrong, they said they’re fine. Are they lying to me?”

Sometimes the most innocent question was the most difficult question to answer. Emily was only eight. A sweet girl liked that shouldn’t catch her parents lying to her. “Adults are stronger than kids like you. If they say they’re fine then they are fine.”

“But… is everything ok?” Emily asked again. “Mother only looks scared when things are not ok.”

No, nothing was ok at this point. There were people who were coming to Dunwall to kidnap this girl but what should he say to a little girl who didn’t know any misery in her life?

“Everything is ok,” he lied.

Emily crossed her arms. “Now you’re lying to me too!”

Daud, a forty years old Royal Spymaster with vast experience in numerous covert missions, bested by an eight years old girl. What a pathetic day. He crouched so he was at the same height with Emily. He took a deep breath, pondering on the right words to say to her. “Listed, kid-”

“I’m not a kid!” Emily protested.

A guard who was leaning into a railing looked at them with weird look. When Daud glared at him, the guard quickly turned away.

“Listen, Emily… Things are… not ok. But you don’t have to be worried about it. Let the adults handle it for you. You just have to be a good girl.”

Emily stared right at his eyes with the seriousness a little girl could muster. Then without breaking the eye contact, she said, “Wow, you suck at comforting people!”

Daud wasn’t sure if he should feel more concerned with Emily’s choice of particular word or with her whole sentence. “I’m sorry for not being good at it. My job is dealing with bad people, kid.”

“Don’t worry! You’re not good with comforting people but I’m sure you’re good at something else! Mother told me everyone has their own unique talents. It’s like I’m good at drawing and Corvo is good with sword and fighting stuff.”

Kids, they could be annoyingly and brutally honest sometimes – well, most of the times. He was lucky he didn’t have one right now and he wouldn’t have one in the future. He was hardly born to be a father.

“Just be a good girl, ok?” Daud got up and bat the dust from on his pants. “And don’t say ‘suck’ in front of your mother. And Corvo. And probably Calista.” He looked behind his back and saw the young governess was looking up at the clouds. “Don’t use that word again.”

“Oh no! Is it a bad word?” she asked with clear guilt in her face. “I heard the guards said it all the time.”

Daud glared at the same guard standing by the railing. The guard fidgeted like he could feel his glare even though his eyes were fixed on the ground below him.

“You won’t tell Mother, will you?” Emily begged. “She’ll be mad at me! She always says that a lady shouldn’t use bad word.”

What a different world he had compared to Emily. When he was eight, Daud had known some colorful swear words – most of them he learned from his own mother. Nobles didn’t use filthy swear words like commoners. They used extravagant long sentences to insult each other. “Let’s go to your mother’s study.”

They walked to Jessamine’s study with Calista in tow. Emily and Calista dropped him in front of Jessamine’s office then they finally left him after they reached Jessamine’s study – well, it was more like Daud asked Calista to take Emily away because the girl didn’t want to leave him yet. Calista practically had to drag a screaming Emily to go back to her room. He waited until he couldn’t hear Emily’s scream then knocked the door as hard as he could.

“It’s me Daud!” he yelled.

Not long after that the door was yanked open and he was greeted by a pissed off Corvo. “You’re late.”

“Fuck you, Corvo.” Daud pushed him aside and stepped inside. Jessamine, who was sitting behind her desk, was having the same pissed face. “Do I interrupt some- never mind, forget I asked.”

Jessamine tapped her fingers to her desk. “You’re going to destroy my door if you keep doing that.”

“You need to stop fucking in this room,” Daud protested and took a seat on his designated chair across the empress.

“Are you suggesting that we were having sex in my study before you walked in?” Jessamine ended her question with a gasp that sounded so scandalized it might have been faked. “By the Outsider’s atrocious eyes, Lord Spymaster, that’s not true!” And from the way she said it, Daud knew they were really having sex before he walked in.

Daud turned to Corvo who was standing behind Jessamine once more. It was a bit harder to see it but beneath that long fringe of his, Corvo’s cheeks were pink. Ah yes, they definitely fucked. Better keep his hands off the desk.

“I’ve been informed you have an emergency yesterday?” Jessamine asked him in serious manner.

“It’s not an emergency, more like an urgent business,” Daud replied. “One of my agent arrived and he brought a bad news.”

Jessamine flinched. “What is it?”

So he told her everything. Daud watched as color drained from Jessamine’s face when he briefed her on everything he knew. Her pale skin grew even whiter than a sheet of paper. The horror was amplified when Daud told her about Free Morley’s real target. Behind her, Corvo was trying so hard to stay impassive and slowly failing to do that. His body language was just too tensed, his shoulders were shaking. Daud had never seen his friend was that scared before.

“They want Emily?” Jessamine asked, heartbroken and frightened. “But, why?”

“Will you do anything to save Emily?” Daud asked her.

“Yes, of course!” she answered without missing any beat. “It’s what parents do! We protect our child no matter what.”

That was one of the reason why he didn’t want to have a child; it was a liability. It was parents’ responsibility to always prioritize their child even when it meant abandoning their role as the head of an empire. Daud had seen it happened with his mother and it would happen with Jessamine. A child would compromise their parents’ judgment. 

“Would you grant Morley its freedom in order to save Emily?”

Jessamine wanted to say something but she quickly shut her mouth. She knew whatever answer she would say was not the right answer. What the mother wanted wasn’t something the empress would wish for.

“Free Morley has learned from the first failed insurrection,” Daud explained, “they won’t achieve anything by killing you. The Empire wouldn’t be crippled even when she’s missing her head. They can’t win this war with brute force, they don’t have the force to fight you or King Turlough. That’s why they’re going to force you to submit.”

“Just like what High Overseer Martin said during the Privy Council meeting,” Corvo commented. “Emily is the sole heir of the Empire. They know you-” Corvo rested his hand on Jessamine’s shoulder, “will do anything to get her back. Not just because she’s your daughter but also because she’s your heir and the future of Kaldwin line.”

“Would I trade a part of the Empire’s territory for my daughter?” Jessamine pondered out loud, sounding lost and defeated. “That’s not a question I’d like to answer.”

“I don’t want it to come that way either,” Daud agreed, “a mother will chose her child but you’re not just a mother. You’re the empress and you have a duty to your empire.”

“Do you think I don’t know that, Daud?” She raised her tone, infuriated. “Don’t lecture me in something that I’ve already known. I know my duty and my responsibility.”

Daud wanted to roll his eyes but he got the feeling it would a very grave mistake.

“Alas, I thank you for uncovering this plot before it happens,” Jessamine continued, “now, we shall discuss what sort of action we have to take. It’s obvious we have to make Emily’s safety our priority. Daud, what is your suggestion?”

Daud raised his eyebrow. “You want my suggestion?”

“That’s what you’re here for,” Jessamine pointed out, “you’re my councilor. You counsel.”

“I’m under impression you no longer need my advice,” Daud commented dryly.

Jessamine scowled. It wasn’t a good look on her. “Don’t be a smartass.”

With a loud scoffed, Daud turned to Corvo. If there was one person that could think straight, it would be him. “What do you think? You’re the Royal Protector and Emily is your kid. What you’re going to do?”

Corvo scratched his chin, the sound of his nail scrapping against his stubble filled the silence that followed. For about a minute, no one said anything and just waited for him to say something. “I think we should send Emily to Karnaca. Duke Theodanis can keep an eye on her.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Daud agreed. “We can send her away quietly to Karnaca. Free Morley won’t know about this. When they finally arrive at Dunwall, we’re going to catch them.”

“That’s what I thought,” Corvo confirmed.

“I can assign my agents to accompany her,” Daud continued. “ORS has an unmarked boat that can be used to take her to Karnaca. We usually use it to get our agents to their destination undetected.”

Jessamine took a moment to ponder. Her eyebrows furrowed, etching deeper lines on her forehead. She didn’t seem to be thrilled with the idea. “Can you come with Emily?” she asked Corvo.

Corvo turned to Daud. After he saw Daud shaking his head furiously, he replied to Jessamine, “I have to stay with you. You’re still in danger.”

“But we can’t let her go to Karnaca alone!” she argued.

“She’ll have Calista and Daud’s men. I’ll assign some men from Royal Guards to go with her as well. She’s going to be fine.”

She still didn’t look convinced. “I’m not sure…”

“Hey, listen to me.” Corvo stood beside her seat and put his hand on her shoulder. He leaned down so he was face to face with her. “I know it’s hard for you. She’s never left Dunwall without you or me and you’re worried. But believe me, you need me more than her. Calista might be young and timid, but she’s sweet and Emily likes her. And you know that Daud’s agents have been watching over her the whole time, don’t you?”

Daud’s eyes snapped to Corvo and narrowed into a glare, ignoring Jessamine’s angry gasp. Fucking traitor.

“I’m going to talk to you about your men in my house,” Jessamine said to Daud. The promise of long angry speech was clear in her voice. When she turned to Corvo, her voice had softened. “Is that really what you think?”

Corvo’s hand moved to her cheek. “It is, don’t worry. Theodanis is a good man. He’s going to take care of her.”

She smiled at Corvo. “I trust your judgment. You won’t let our daughter go into a dangerous place.”

“Of course, darling. I won’t do that.”

The blatant show of affection might be appealing to some people but definitely not Daud. While Corvo and Jessamine were busy being sickening sweet couple, he was busy trying not to gag. 

“Oh void be damned, fuck you two!” Daud resisted the urge to bang his head to the desk. “Can you stop being so-”

“What is it, Daud? Are you jealous?” Corvo teased him.

“Fuck you, Corvo!” Daud said. It was more like a grumble actually.

Jessamine pushed Corvo away from her. Her cheeks were starting to get red. She cleared her throat and said, “My Lord Spymaster, can you arrange the boat and your men for Emily’s voyage to Karnaca?”

Daud nodded his head. “No problem. I can go back to the Tower right away and bring you the boat this evening. I take it Emily needs to pack her stuff and you guys need to do some parental things before she leaves.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Jessamine said, “please do that.”

“I will,” Daud reassured her. “Now, can I go to do my job or do you still need me?”

Jessamine shook her head. “You may go, my lord.”

Without further ado, Daud left Dunwall Tower to prepare any necessary thing for Emily’s trip to his hometown. He needed to prepare a ship, the crews, and a bodyguard for Emily. It had been a long time since he needed to do this. He had people under him to carry his order now, but he was sure it couldn’t be hard.

***

It was hard.

Without Rulfio or Billie or Thomas, it was left to him to arrange things for the mission. He made some memos to Billie and Rulfio to let them know what was transpiring now and ordered them to prepare the necessary paperwork for that because he wouldn’t do it. Even without the nasty paperwork, it still took him three tedious hours until everything was ready. He prepared the most comfortable ship ORS had, a crew of fully trained agents to keep an eye on Emily, and enough supply for Emily’s royal palette. Daud knew from his men’s report what kind of food Emily loved. It was a bit alarming how many sweet foods that kid needed per day.

And now, bodyguard.

Daud went to the Whaler Project division after he made sure the ship was in good condition. The recruits who were hanging around in the corridors quickly scattered away when Daud went passed them. Some were stealing glances at him while others were blatantly staring at him. He paid them no mind and headed straight to Carlo’s office. That man never left Kingsparrow. He lived here at Kingsparrow after his last mission, claiming it would be better if he was close to the recruits all the time especially when they needed him. It was just a ruse. Carlo didn’t have anyone out there and he had nowhere else to stay. The world was cruel to a disabled man let alone a lone foreigner in Dunwall like him. Daud let him to claim a permanent room in the Whaler Project division not as an act of charity but because he deserved it.

As expected, the dark skinned man was in his office. He was reading a book and he immediately put the book down when he saw Daud sauntering inside. He was about to get up when Daud signaled him to stay seated. Daud took the seat across Carlo without waiting for his invitation.

“Do you need me, sir?” Carlo asked.

Daud eyed the title of the book. _The Shadow of Bitterleaf_. He never knew Carlos was a fan of mystery book. “How’s the recruits”

“They’re doing fine, sir.”

“Do you think they’re ready for a mission?”

Carlo’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t expecting that question. “What kind of mission?”

“I need someone to guard Lady Emily for a couple of days,” Daud explained, “she’ll have other more professional agents guarding her from a distance but I need someone to be with her all the time and pretend to be her friend.”

“Oh.” Carlo crossed his arms. “I think the one who’s ready for a deployment is Rinaldo, but I won’t suggest taking Rinaldo with Lady Emily. A man like him can… broaden Emily’s vocabulary.”

If Emily came back from her trip to Karnaca and she started swearing like pirates, Jessamine would hang him. “I want Karl to go with Emily.”

The choice surprised Carlo even more. “Karl the boy? Not Karla the girl?”

“The boy. Do you think he’s ready for this?”

Carlo answered him with long silence.

“I don’t have all day to wait for you,” Daud urged him. “Look, we’re not expecting any danger. She will be in a safe place with trusted ally of the empress. I just need someone to be with her all the time who can use weapons and protect her should the need arise.”

“Why Karl, sir?”

Daud had read Karl’s report and studied it. While his fighting skill wasn’t as impressive as his sister, he was more knowledgeable than her. He had excellent grasp on history and good with numbers and literature; a strange feat for a young street kid like him. It was rare to see a well-educated urchin like him, it was almost too good to be true. As strange as it might be, Daud had a feeling Karl would make a good addition to Intelligence Division one day. He just needed to see how Karl would do in this mission first.

“I have my reason,” Daud replied.

Carlo scratched his jaw, the lines on his forehead deepened as he scowled. “I suppose Karl would be an acceptable choice.”

“Send the boy to my office in fifteen minutes. Alone. You won’t tell him anything especially his sister. While he’s in my office, I want you to pack his things. Understood?”

“Understood, sir. You’ll see him in fifteen minutes.”

Daud went back to his office after that. Karl showed up exactly fifteen minutes after that. It was his first time here, it was apparent in how uncomfortable he was. His black eyes scanned the room as his body language was so tensed. Daud made him stand by his desk and didn’t offer him a chair. He didn’t say anything at first, testing the boy. He might looked perturbed by Daud’s silence, but at least he was staring at Daud’s eyes. Good. He wasn’t as timid as he thought he was.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Daud asked.

Karl shook his head. “No, sir.”

“Do you think you’re in trouble?”

His adam’s apple was bobbing in his throat. “No, sir.” Interesting reaction. He would pry further if only he had time for that.

“I’m going to ask you some questions.” Daud waited until Karl nodded his head then continued, “Did you and your sister come from a wealthy family?”

The question hit the young boy in great force. Eyes blown wide, jaw dropped open, shoulders tensed. He tried to say something but no words came out from his mouth.

“Answer me,” Daud told him. “This is important. You have to answer me honestly. Don’t try to lie to me, I’ll know.”

Daud’s voice seemed to snap him out from his shock. “Yes, sir. I was… We…” Karl bowed his head and breathed out. He took a deep breath and continued, “Our father was a barrister in Dabokva, sir. He was… framed by his rival and was sentenced to the camp. His property was seized by the government and we were left without any coins or place to live.”

“How about your mother?”

“Mother died when we were seven, sir. We had no one to take care of us so we lived in the street for three years.”

Three years in the street could change children drastically. What an awful place for rich brats like them. No wonder Billie found them killing a man twice their size with a bottle of wine. “Did you learn etiquette and how to behave around nobles?”

“I did, sir.”

“Good.” Daud leaned back to his chair, pleased with the answer. “I’m going to send you on a mission. You are to guard Lady Emily Kaldwin during her trip to Karnaca and back again to Dunwall. Pose as her playmate from Tyvia. Don’t leave her side at any cost, guard her with your life. Her governess is going to be there as well but she’ll be useless if someone attacks Emily.”

Karl blinked. “You… you’re sending me on a mission, sir?”

Daud raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’re supposed to be the smart one.”

“I just… I’m still a recruit, sir, and I’m not better than my sister.” There was a note of desperation in his note. He didn’t want to go.

“I want you to go not your sister,” Daud said.

“But my sister-”

“Will continue her training.” Daud sighed. “You can’t depend on your sister all the time, Karl. If you want to be a spy, you have to depend on yourself. Focus on your assignment, don’t think about anything else. Consider it as test for you. If you succeed, you’ll get a more thorough training that will help you for your future position. Don’t even think about failing.”

The boy gulped. “Yes, sir.”

“Remember, you may be your sister’s twin but you’re not her. You are your own man. I see something in you. Don’t proof me wrong.”

Daud’s words brought something to Karl. A small smile crept to his face. He stood a little bit taller. “Understood, sir.”

“Right now, Carlo is packing your stuff. You’ll get your noble clothes when you’ve reached Karnaca. In the meantime, go downstairs, sit in one of the chair, and wait. Other agents will come soon for briefing.” Daud paused and merely looked at the boy for a moment. “You’ll be fine, boy.”

The smile Karl gave him was so genuine, it was blinding.

***

Daud arrived at Dunwall Tower with the ORS ship and continued to sail to the Tower waterlock system with a small boat. He also took Karl with him so he could introduce the boy to Emily and her mother. The poor boy couldn’t stop fidgeting once they switched to the small boat. Daud almost took a pity on him before he remembered this was boy who would guard Emily. He just hoped he didn’t make the wrong decision to trust this boy with future empress’ life.

“Stop fidgeting,” Daud told him, “you’ll leave a bad impression to the Empress and her daughter.”

Karl stopped fidgeting and resumed to do that again. This boy had no hope.

Corvo and Jessamine had already been waiting for him at the top of the waterlock system and so did five Royal Guards who were clearly chosen by Corvo to guard Emily. Two servants then started loading the small boat with suitcases, which Daud assumed belonged to Emily and Callista. Curiously enough, there was no Emily in sight. He checked his vicinity and no, Emily was definitely not hiding anywhere in this room.

“Where’s your daughter?” Daud asked them.

Jessamine answered it before Corvo could say anything, “She’s on her way with Callista. Who’s that boy?”

“This is Karl, he’ll be Emily’s bodyguard when she’s in Karnaca.” Daud jerked his head to the boy. Karl had been groomed by ORS barber; his hair was cut short and styled like a typical noble brat. He had traded his ORS uniform for a set of noble clothing. He looked very much like a wealthy spoiled brat – someone who would be paired with Emily as her playmate. It was now up to Karl to convince the empress that he could play his part.

“My name is Karl, Your Majesty,” Karl said with a deep bow.

Jessamine inspected Karl from head to toe. “Are you sure he’s capable for this job?”

“Yes,” Daud replied, not letting any ounce of doubt bleed into his words, “I also assign another agent to keep their eye on Emily from a distance. Karl’s going to pose as Emily’s friend so he’s going to be with her all the time.”

Jessamine rested her hands on her hips and leaned forward to inspect the boy more closely. “So you’re going to pretend to be Emily’s friend?”

Karl answered her question after Daud’s hit him on his back, “Yes, Your Majesty. I’m acting as Lady Emily’s friend from Dabokva.”

“Dabokva, you said.” Jessamine still didn’t sound convinced. “You do have a Dabokvan accent.”

Jessamine continued to grill Karl with question after question. Daud could jump in and answer them for Karl but the boy wouldn’t learn if he didn’t answer it himself. Despite his obvious anxiety, he managed to give good answers to Jessamine. Smart boy.

A hand grabbed his elbow. Daud didn’t react because the culprit was Corvo. “Come with me for a sec.” Corvo didn’t wait for Daud’s consent before he dragged him away from Jessamine. The stepped out from the waterlock room and stopped not far from the entrance way to the said room. After he was sure they were out from Jessamine’s hearing range, Corvo said to Daud, “Are you out of your mind? Why do you send a green boy to guard Emily?”

Daud rolled his eyes. “Do you really need to drag me here?”

“I don’t want her to be worried,” Corvo explained.

“You are the worst.” Daud shook his head. “The boy’s still green but he’s good at pretending to be a noble. I’ll admit, this is his first mission so he’s a bit nervous-”

“A bit nervous? He’s a wrecking mess!” Corvo frowned, suspicion written so clearly in his narrowed eyes. “Is he still a recruit?”

Daud didn’t give him an answer.

“Outsider’s eyes, Daud! Are you jeopardizing Emily’s life?” he hissed.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Daud countered, “there’s another agent, alright? Besides, she also has those men you assigned to go with her.” Daud caught a glimpse of a familiar figure coming towards their direction; a young woman carrying a suitcase. Was it Callista? Why was she alone?

“Yes, that true but I’m not mad enough to send a green boy to gu-” Corvo stopped when Daud raised his hand to interrupt him. He turned around when Daud gestured for him to do it. Judging from the surprised gasp, Callista wasn’t supposed to come alone.

“Ah good evening, Lord Spymaster,” Callista greeted him with a curtsy.

“Where’s Emily?” Corvo asked her.

Callista’s eyes went wide with confusion. “I thought she’s with Her Majesty, Lord Spymaster? She told me to go first because she’s waiting for Her Majesty.”

Corvo immediately rushed back towards the Tower, leaving Daud to deal with the stunned governess. Daud shook his head and covered his face with his palm.

“Did I do something wrong?” Callista asked him.

“You just got tricked by an eight years old,” Daud told her. “Stay here and stay away from Jessamine until we’ve found Emily.” Daud didn’t wait for her response and ran to the Tower.

It took times to catch up with Corvo but he eventually did right before they reached the Tower’s entrance door. The two sentries near the door were startled to see Corvo and Daud, both gasping for air after their run.

“Have you seen Emily?” Corvo asked them.

“Uhh… no, my lord?” one of the sentries replied and turned to his friend.

“No, my lord. We haven’t seen Lady Emily,” the other sentry reaffirmed his friend’s statement.

Corvo turned to Daud. “You have people that watch after Emily, don’t you?”

Daud pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “I have people in the Tower but they’re not here specifically to watch Emily.”

Corvo groaned and then storm deeper into the Tower and barked orders to any guards who were unfortunate enough to cross their path with Corvo. Daud pinched the bridge of his nose once again while shaking his head. He was too sick for this.

“Damn you, Corvo! Just wait here and let me find that stupid girl for you!” Daud said after he had enough of Corvo’s frantic grumble. He knew it was a bad decision but it was better than watching his friend going crazy like that.

“No, I’m coming with you!” Corvo rushed to trail behind him.

Daud had a feeling Emily was still in her room. She was probably sulking because she didn’t want to go to Karnaca. That was what an eight years old spoiled girl would do; sulking. When no one wanted to hear her, she would resort on making them to do so by locking herself in her room. Daud wouldn’t be surprised if he found the door to her room was locked and she would scream at him when he asked her to open it.

He was surprised when he found her bedroom empty.

“She’s not here,” Corvo pointed out.

“I have eyes,” was Daud’s only retort.

“Do you think there’s a clue here somewhere?”

“On where your spoiled girl is hiding? Be my guest and search for it yourself.”

Corvo then search his daughter’s room for any clue they could possibly uncover while Daud was pondering on what might have transpired in this room. There was nothing strange in this room. There was no sign of fighting, which ruled out kidnapping. There was also no sign of her doll, which mean she took it with her. She could be hiding somewhere else. But where did she hide? There were so many rooms and it would take so much time to search them one of by one. 

Where would a little girl hide when she thought she was in danger?

Following his hunch, Daud immediately left Emily’s room, ignoring Corvo’s call as he did so. He heard Corvo’s footsteps following him not long after that and decided to let his friend follow him. If he was right then they could find Emily in the Empress’ bedroom. Corvo once told Daud that Emily still went to Jessamine’s room when there was thunder and she would fall asleep in Jessamine’s embrace whenever she had a nightmare. Emily could always count on Jessamine to hold her and chased the demon away. Not having a real father she could latch to – because Corvo didn’t really count even though he was her biological father – had forged a strong bond between them.

Daud tried the doorknob to Jessamine’s bedroom once they reached the room. He wasn’t really surprised when he found the door was unlocked. He pushed it gently, making as little sound as he could. They were both greeted by a dark corridors that branched to the sleeping area and the bathroom. They could also hear a faint sobbing sound coming from the bed. Daud turned to Corvo and jerked his head to the sleeping area. When Corvo nodded his head, he knew what to do. He stepped away from the door and let Corvo to handle this mess alone. Corvo gave him a grateful look before he stepped inside.

Daud leaned his back to the wall and crossed his arms. He took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, knowing well enough from experience that it was forbidden to smoke here. Fuck that rule. He didn’t know how long it would take for Corvo to coax Emily out from her hiding. Emily could be stubborn like her mother if she wanted to. It was her first time travelling alone to another isle without her mother or Corvo on her side. Daud understood how terrifying it would be for Emily.

He was about to grab a second cigarette when Corvo and Emily emerged from the bedroom. Emily was hiding behind Corvo’s legs while clutching her doll close to her chest. Corvo gave him a disapproving glare when he spotted the cigarette between his lips.

“I was bored waiting for you two to come out,” Daud explained.

Corvo scoffed but said nothing further.

Daud blew out a trail of smoke from his lips then knelt down to address Emily. The little girl’s eyes and nose were red and puffy, a clear sign she had been crying for a long time. She still tried to stare at him in the eyes though. Daud’s lips tug into a smirk. This girl was not only stubborn like her mother but also fierce.

“Ready to go now, kid?” Daud asked. He wouldn’t ask if she was alright. He’d let her to reserve some dignity no matter how young she was.

Emily nodded her head and forced herself to smile. “Yeah! Corvo just told me how wonderful Karnaca is! I really want to see it! It’s where you and Corvo come from, right?”

“Make sure Duke Theodanis take you to Royal Conservatory. You don’t want to miss it.” Daud got up to his feet. “C’mon. I want you to meet someone.”

“Oh, yes! Corvo told me about Karl,” Emily said with a grin that looked less forced. She was genuinely excited. “Is he going to be my new friend? I always want a new friend but I don’t know where to find one. Mother said friend is something that I must find.”

The downside of growing up in a sheltered life. Jessamine should find someone around Emily’s age to play with her if she wanted her to grow up like a normal kid.

“If you want him to be,” Daud replied, “you have to promise me one thing. You’ll never leave his side and you’ll listen to Callista no matter what.”

“But that’s two things not one!” Emily argued.

Daud scowled. “Don’t be a smartass.”

Emily flashed him a smug smirk. Daud had a feeling she was doing that on purpose.

“Ok that’s enough,” Corvo announced, “let’s go back. Jessamine will be furious if we don’t go back now.”

Daud resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Corvo held out his hand to Emily. The girl took his hand then they both shared a smile. She gave him her doll and he received it without saying anything, just smiling. The display unnerved him. He felt like an intruder in this tender father-daughter interaction. He was grateful he didn’t need to come with Corvo when he talked to Emily.

Daud almost jumped in surprise when a small hand grabbed his gloved one. He looked down at Emily and found flashing the same smile she gave to Corvo. Flustered and confused, he looked up to Corvo. His friend glared at him. He could heard the silence threat Corvo was saying to him if he didn’t take Emily’s hand. This family really liked to trouble him, didn’t they?

Daud ignored the warmth feeling that was spreading in his chest as Emily beamed when he squeezed her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

There was a limit a man could go without proper rest – Daud was not an exception. In addition, he was not young anymore and he had a pestering cold that had been plaguing him for days. When he arrived at home last night after he sent Emily off to Karnaca, he thought he could finally take a full day rest on Sunday. As Martin had told him a couple days ago; he needed food, medicine, and rest. But like a saying ‘no rest for the wicked’, his work always found a way to haunt him. Today it came in the form of Billie Lurk.

“Daud! Open the door! I know you’re inside!” she yelled while banging his apartment’s door repeatedly. She might destroyed his door if she kept doing that for another minutes.

Daud could pretend he didn’t hear that but he was in the living room, which meant there was no way he didn’t hear Billie. The wooden floor creaked when he stepped on it so there was a good chance Billie would hear it. He sighed and looked at the clock on the drawer. It was nine in the morning, still too early to have his peaceful morning destroyed by his inescapable responsibility. 

“Daud! Don’t tell me you’re dead already!” She banged the door harder. It gave a worrying cracking sound. Alright, that was his cue.

“You’re too loud,” Daud greeted her while he yanking the door open.

“Geez. What you took so long, old man,” she murmured and stepped inside.

Daud caught a glimpse of an old woman staring at him from the staircase. She was looking thoroughly scandalized and offended by Billie’s behavior, or maybe just by Billie in general. That woman was a bit of a racist. He caught her bad mouthing him because he was a Serkonan once – just once. It only took a murderous glare to shut her up forever. Daud ignored the old woman then finally closed the door.

Billie was already making herself at home when Daud joined her in the living room. She was rummaging through his pantry to find something to drink while Daud made his way back to his couch in the living room. He resumed reading Dunwall Courier while drinking the health potion that was mysteriously appeared in his apartment last night. Daud had no doubt the culprit was Martin. He probably dropped by on Friday evening when Daud spent the night in the Lighthouse.

“Do you have anything else to drink besides coffee?” Billie asked.

“Fuck you, Billie!”

Not long after that Billie joined him in the living room with a cup of coffee. She sat down beside Daud on the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table in front of them. Daud rolled his eyes but said nothing. He had learned for experience that it was useless to tell her to behave in his apartment.

“Why you’re here?” Daud finally asked the question.

“You know why,” Billie replied. She took a sip of her coffee and cough. “Ugh, your coffee is terrible.”

Daud glared at her but it didn’t deterred her from making a fake gagging noise.

“So-” Billie finally put her coffee down on the table. “I’ve been pretty busy yesterday; checking on Chester and New Mercantile. By the way, there are more guards there. About time those lazy choffers do that. Do you happen to know why? Or can’t you tell me?” She flashed him a knowing smirk.

Daud scoffed. “It’s not your business.”

“Just so you know, I don’t want to know what you and the other old men discussed in the Tower.” Billie pulled her feet from the table and rested her elbows on her thighs. “Now, for my report.” She turned to stare right at Daud’s eyes.

Daud put his newspaper down and leaned back to the couch. He had a feeling it would a long one. “Shoot.”

“As I’ve told you, I was in New Mercantile yesterday. We’re trying to track down the one responsible for spreading the rumor about Free Morley coming to Dunwall. We’ve managed to narrow it down to a building; an apartment to be exact. We have yet to discern who is responsible for this rumor but they are certainly there.”

“You won’t come here if you haven’t found something specific,” Daud pressed.

“That’s true,” Billie mused. “We didn’t have time to meet the tenants and check the building but we met the caretaker; a Morleyan woman in her late thirties named Mrs. Hughes. We chatted a bit. Chester pretended he wants to rent a room there and I was there as his girlfriend. The caretaker was kind enough to divulge some story about the apartment.”

“Oh?” Daud raised an eyebrow. “What kind of story?”

“Boring ones,” Billie replied, “apparently the tenants are mostly families that came from Morley after the famine but there are some single people there as well. She denied when we asked if there’s any shady things going on there.”

Daud rolled his eyes. “Of course she did.”

“But guess who owns the building,” she continued, “the High Overseer himself.”

To say Daud was surprised was an understatement. The news hit him like a thunderstruck, robbing him of every word he was about to say. And after the shock had passed, a flicker of anger grew in the depth of his gut. He had been in relationship with Martin for six years and he had never heard about this. 

“Are you sure it’s Martin?” he asked.

“She didn’t say it’s Martin, you see. It’s a slip of tongue! She said that we shouldn’t be too worried about bad things because that building is owned by an overseer whose altruism has graced New Mercantile by providing a place to stay for fellow Morleyan refugees. She wouldn’t tell us the name of the overseer but she implied quite clearly that the overseer in question is a respectable overseer who’s held in high regard by his peers. Now I’m asking you, is there any other respectable Morleyan overseer in Dunwall besides High Overseer Martin?”

Billie was right in that regard; there was no other Morleyan overseers higher than a mere warfare overseer in Dunwall. It was hard for non Gristolan overseer to get promoted in Dunwall. If they wanted to be a Vice Overseer usually they would be placed elsewhere. It was still a mystery to Daud how Martin could be the Vice Overseer of Dunwall at the first place. The answer was most certainly involved dirty tricks and blackmail, just like how he did during the Feast of Painted Kettle. “Did she said it’s a Morleyan overseer?”

“Yes she did,” Billie replied, “she even sounded proud.”

Daud balled his fist and tried to recollect himself. He couldn’t lose his temper now. He didn’t know if Martin was really the owner of that building but this information angered him. They agreed to have no secret but here he was, having someone else telling him about Martin’s secret. When did he purchase this apartment? Before or after he met Daud? Why he didn’t tell him about this?

“Hey, why you’re looking like you’re going to murder your table?” Billie asked.

Daud sighed. No, he had to keep his temper in check. He would save the outburst once he met Martin in person. “What do you want to do about this?”

“Are you sure the question is not ‘what do I want _you_ to do?” Billie asked back. “Go talk to High Overseer Martin, old man. Aren’t you two close allies? You can ask him to help with our investigation!”

“How?” he asked, completely irritated by Billie’s demand.

“I don’t know, you guess. I have a feeling if he knew I was trying to dictate his move, I’d find an overseer in front of my door to punish me for same sex sexual activity. He’s pretentious asshole with ego bigger than Pandysian continent. I don’t know how you can work with him for so long.”

“That makes the two of us.” Daud covered his face with his hands and groaned. He guessed he needed to meet with Martin to ask this. He also needed to ask about Green Viper’s leader Ginger Jack. “I’ll meet him today.”

“Today? On Sunday?” Billie sounded skeptic. “Doesn’t he need to give a sermon or something?”

Sunday was probably the busiest day for Martin. As a High Overseer, it was his responsibility to lead a service in Holger Square and to preach about the Seven Stricture to the mass. There were three services every Sunday. If he went to Holger Square right now, he could catch him right after the morning service.

“I’ll go to Holger Square soon so you better leave now,” Daud said and got up from the couch.

“What? No thank you or anything? What an ungrateful old man.” Billie followed suit and walked towards the door. 

“It’s your job,” Daud countered.

Billie scoffed loudly. “See you tomorrow, Daud.” She waved her hands before reaching for the door handle.

After Billie was gone, Daud quickly went to his bedroom and changed. Martin owed him some explanations.

***

Daud arrived at Holger Square just before the morning service ended. The front lobby was utilized as the worship room during the service with rows of benches lining neatly to accommodate the worshiper and also a small altar where the Seven Scripture was placed during the whole ceremony. Two overseers in white ceremonial robe was standing between the High Overseers while four more overseers were posted near the wall opposite of the altar, possibly on guard duty. There were close to a hundred people attending the service, maybe more. Daud still couldn’t believe there were still people who attend the service. Mysticism was not a common thing in the age of enlightenment anymore. Science had changed the way people live and think in this era. They even transcended beyond the law of nature and invented things that no one could ever think before. 

“Remember the Seven Stricture and never stray your path from its guidance lest you lose your way and fall into the clutch of the Outsider,” the High Overseer said from behind the altar, grabbing Daud’s attention in an instant.

From afar, it was hard to recognize the man who was giving the sermon was indeed the same smug Teague Martin; not with the golden mask and intricate ceremonial robe he wore – the liturgical vestment as Martin once told him. It still seemed strange for Daud to see him with that robe. It looked highly uncomfortable to wear – who knew how many layers Martin wore beneath that red and gold embroidered robe. There was white tunic beneath the red robe and a high collared shirt. Instead of the overseer’s standard black glove, the High Overseer wore a pair of white gloves. Daud had to agree that the vestment radiated a certain air of sacredness; a symbol of a power that could crush the dark power of the Outsider and the heretics. It was beyond his understanding how someone who used to be the scumbag of society could wear those holy apparels like a second skin.

And well, Martin looked great in that robe.

“For those who have fallen to the seduction of the Outsider will be forever lost and fade to nothing,” Martin continued and spread his arms in the most dramatic fashion, “the Void awaits them.”

Daud decided he had enough of this bullshit and headed to the second floor. Two overseers tried to stop him before he could reach the staircase because they couldn’t identify him when he wore his civilian clothes despite the big scar on his face and the trademark black leather gloves. He also found similar problem upstairs when some overseers tried to drag him out because they didn’t recognize him without the Royal Spymaster overcoat. It was both comforting and annoying to find out that his clothes had indeed become his identity just like what Martin told him few days ago.

Martin’s office was as presumptuous as the man himself; big and spacious and overly decorated with expensive looking big chandelier and landscapes paintings of Morleyan lands. All windows were covered with thick red curtains that bore the abbey insignia. There was a big globes in the corner of the room on the opposite side of the Martin’s big desk. Near the globe, there were two couches where Martin usually had his guests. It was the chair Daud frequented to wait for the High Overseer.

He wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed when Martin finally entered the office with two aides in tow, still wearing his vestment and golden mask and looked holier than anything Daud had ever seen. He didn’t seem to see Daud at first and walked straight to his desk. He finally noticed his guest when he was halfway through his goal.

“Daud,” Martin greeted him, sounding mildly surprised and delighted. “What a pleasant surprise.” He walked towards Daud. His two aid trailed behind him like a pair of obedient servants.

Manner dictated someone to stand up when they greeted the High Overseer. Daud didn’t deign to show any respect to the High Overseer, he stubbornly remained on his seat when he said, “I need to talk to you.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“No.”

Martin snapped his fingers to the Overseer on his right side and the overseer immediately came behind him and pulled the golden mask for him, leaving his hair slightly ruffled. The other overseer came to his side to pull his gloves off from his hands.

“Leave us,” Martin told his overseers. Once they had scampered away from the room, Martin sat down on the opposite couch from Daud. 

“Martin, I-” Daud’s stopped when Martin raised his hand. 

Martin crossed his legs, revealing a black trousers and boots beneath the robes and tunic. “Do you have any cigarette?”

“You want a cigarette?” Daud asked.

He held his hand towards Daud. “Just give me one.”

Daud rolled his eyes and gave Martin exactly what he was asking for. After Martin put it between his lips, he leaned towards Daud, waiting for him to light the cigarette. Daud obliged without saying anything. Martin huffed a smoke from his lips. It was such a surreal image; the High Overseer smoking a cigarette while still wearing his vestment. He looked more normal and more Martin now.

“You look much better. Got any rest yesterday?” Martin asked.

“You can say so.” Daud took a cigarette for his own.

“You’re not at home on Friday night,” Martin said, “are you at the Lighthouse all night that day?”

Daud nodded his head then lighted the cigarette. He took a long drag before he replied, “Found some medicines in my apartment. You were there on Friday?”

“Just for a short time. Didn’t see the point to stay longer since you’re not there. You do realize I have a nice house in the Estate District. Your shabby apartment has nothing compared to it.” He smirked and took another drag of his cigarette. “Still, I’m glad you’re better now. Can’t afford to have you die from a common cold. That would be very tragic and ironic.”

Daud didn’t say anything and resorted to give Martin a glare instead.

“So,” Martin said, “what do you want from me?”

Talking about the apartment first wouldn’t be a good idea. Knowing Martin, he would give a vague answer that wouldn’t answer anything which would drive Daud mad in the end. He needed to keep his temper at check if he wanted to make a progress.

“The Free Morley docked at Whitecliff and they’re going to Dunwall from there,” Daud told him.

“Whitecliff?” Martin’s eyes narrowed as he scowled. “Are you sure about it?”

“Yes.”

Martin grumbled and took a long drag of his cigarette. If Daud didn’t know him better he would say Martin looked agitated. “I’m going to Whitefliff next week.”

“You’re going to Whitecliff again? Daud narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t you go there two weeks ago?” 

“That was for Trial of Aptitude,” Martin replied. “This is Whitecliff memorial service. It’s on the 27th day.”

“Whitecliff memorial service?” Daud had no idea what that was. He had no particular interest in the Abbey’s customs and events. It must be an important event since it needed the High Overseer himself to be present.

“It’s a memorial for the Siege of Whitecliff,” Martin explained. He grumbled something under his breath. “I actually I haven’t attend this ceremony. I always made up an excuse so the High Overseer wouldn’t take me with him.”

Daud snorted. “Lazy bastard.”

“It sounds boring and I hate boring thing.” Martin shrugged. “I have a feeling it would be as boring as I thought it would be. I’ve checked the rundown for the ceremony. I don’t know how I can survive standing in front the mass for three hours.”

“Sounds like a slow and painful death.” Daud smirked.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Martin said, “do you think it will be safe for me to travel to Whitecliff? Will Free Morley be a problem?”

“I don’t think so.” Daud blew a trail of smoke from his mouth. “I think they’ll be here already so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Hmm, it’s a good information but I don’t think you’re here to tell me that.” Martin uncrossed his legs and leaned toward Daud. “What do you really want to tell me?”

“Free Morley that is on its way to Dunwall…” Daud said, “your former gang is with them too.”

That picked Martin’s interest. “The Vipers?”

“And their leader Ginger Jack.” Daud watched Martin’s hand which held the cigarette froze midair for a second before he brought it back to his lips. That was a reaction he didn’t expect to hear. “Do you know him well?”

“Besides the fact that he’s a bastard that took my gang from me?” Martin replied with a bitter chuckle. “But it was my fault actually. I fucked his sister behind his back.”

The information was slightly unnerving. Daud was never good at handling this kind of information. “You slept with his sister?”

“I slept with him too at the same time so you can imagine how furious he was when he found out.”

“You slept with him too?” 

Martin gave him a disappointed look and shook his head. “Relax, it’s all in the past, don’t be jealous like that.”

Jealous was too strong to describe his feeling. Irritated would be more appropriate. He didn’t care with whom Martin slept in the past. There were things that should stay in the past and they had to accept it and move on. So no, he wasn’t mad because Martin slept with two people at the same time in the past. It was the way he brushed the matter off like it didn’t matter that irked him.

“Stop looking at me like you’re judging me.” Martin sounded annoyed as well. “I was a different man back then. I’ve changed.”

“Have you, Martin? Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that.”

“You’re hurting my feeling, Daud. I thought you’re the one who knows me the most.” Again with the nonchalant tone like it wasn’t a big deal. “Are you afraid I’m cheating on you behind your back as well? I can assure I’m devoting my time to you like I do to the Seven Strictures.”

Daud scoffed at Martin’s meaningless words. “That’s not very reassuring.”

“No more secrets, remember?” Martin shrugged.

He had enough of it. “Enough of this ‘no more secret bullshit’! That’s why I find it hard to believe you, Martin! We agree to have no secrets but you still have tons of secrets behind your back. I respect your past by not asking any question about it. I’ve never asked why or how you can be an overseer because you told me not to. I expect you have the decency to tell me what you’ve done after you came to Dunwall.”

“What do you mean?”

“You own an apartment building in New Mercantile, don’t you?”

Martin was a terrific liar but even the best liar couldn’t prevent the involuntary reaction when faced with a surprising news. Daud had become adept at picking up that involuntary reaction and used it for his arsenal. Althouggt Martin’s posture remained unchanged, Daud saw the way Martin’s eyes widened for a brief moment. It was short but it was enough to damn him.

“Martin, tell me what’s going on and don’t pull the ‘don’t ask’ card right now,” Daud urged him.

A minute passed in silence. Daud was too angry to say anything while Martin still needed time recover from the shock. Daud waited another minute until Martin finally said, “How do you know?”

“We spotted suspicious activity from your building. There might be a member of Free Morley there.”

“Free Morley?” Martin parroted his words.

“Yes, Free fucking Morley. I hope you can give some information. And while you’re at it, I also expect you to explain how you own an apartment building without telling me.”

Martin didn’t say anything at first. He kept his head low and refused to look at Daud’s eye. A sign of guilt? That was unlike Martin to feel even the slightest hint of remorse. Daud waited and waited for Martin to give an answer but Martin remained stubbornly silent the whole time. The prolonged silence was deafening, it drove him mad.

“Go home, Daud.”

Daud banged his hand on the table. “Damn it, Martin! I need an explanation now!”

“You will get your explanation but not here.” Martin threw his cigarette on the floor and crushed it with his boot. “I’ll go to your place tonight.” He got up from his seat and walked to his desk.

“Don’t play with me, bastard!” Daud got up as well.

“I’m not playing with you!” He stopped and turned around to Daud. “I’ll go to your place tonight and I’ll explain everything to you. You deserve to know the truth.”

There was secret that should remained hidden. There was secret that could destroy the foundation of someone’s world. It could destroy him, break the illusion he build around him, and expose the pathetic disdainful man beneath. How many times had Daud used someone’s deep dark secret to bring them down to ruin? Was it wise for Martin to trust him with his past? 

Did Daud really want to know Martin’s secret?

“I’ll kill you if you don’t show up,” Daud said and headed towards the door.

“Death threat from the Spymaster himself,” Martin mused, “I won’t take it lightly.”

Daud opened the door. “See you tonight.” He stepped outside and closed the door.

***

It was close to ten when Martin finally arrived at Daud’s apartment. Daud wasn’t surprised when that man used his spare key instead of knocking the door like a well-mannered guest. Martin himself didn’t seem to be surprised as well to find him waiting in the living room with a bottle of beer.

“Sorry, I can’t come sooner,” Martin said while hanging his coat on the coat hanger. “There were things I need to settle before I left Holger Square.”

“Everything ok there?” Daud grabbed the beer and held it for Martin.

“An overseer was killed by a witch outside the city wall.” Martin took the beer from Daud’s hand. “Or that’s what his friend claimed. We needed to make more thorough investigation on his claim.”

“Witches?” That was a word Daud didn’t expect to hear. 

“I know, it seems unlikely. There are rumors about witches in this city but we’ve never encountered any true witches. They are all just heretics performing barbaric rituals to call the Outsider.”

What Martin said was true. Most ‘witches’ were just hysterical women who mistook drinking blood and sacrificing innocent babies as a path to achieve greatness. Daud only knew one woman whom he considered as true witch; a crazy old woman whose path crossed his by chance when he was younger…

“This is more of your expertise, isn’t it Daud?” Martin asked.

Daud raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“You are…. You know…” Martin made a vague gestured that Daud decided to ignore. “Your mother was accused of being a witch so maybe you have more insight on this matter.”

“Just because my mother was suspected to perform witchcraft, it doesn’t mean I know how to detect a fake witch.”

“I’m just joking.” The chuckle that followed sound forced. Martin then took a sip of his beer. “Well, I’ve dispatched some men to investigate it but it’s probably nothing.”

“Your man died,” Daud pointed out, “it couldn’t be just ‘nothing’.”

“Hmm, true.” Martin took another sip.

They stayed silent for a couple of. The silence made Daud fully aware of the distance Martin set between them on the couch. Usually when they were in his apartment, Martin tried to be as close as Daud allowed him to. Martin sought the intimacy they couldn’t share in public, something that Daud grew to enjoy over the years. Seeing Martin keeping his distance like this spoke of the weight his story carried.

“I won’t let you go before you tell me anything,” Daud told him.

“I don’t know where to begin.”

“People usually begin their story from the beginning,” Daud suggested.

“There’s no use for you to be sarcastic,” Martin said. He took a deep sigh and put his beer down on the coffee table. “I suppose you want to hear how I became a highwayman?”

“If that’s where you want to begin.” 

“Before Morley Insurrection began, my father enlisted me to become a child soldier to help in the grow ups’ effort to liberate Morley from the clutch of the greedy Gristolan hands. He was a military man, that’s why I got enlisted. So, when you were busy playing hide and seek under the sunny sky of Karnaca, I was busy learning how to fire a gun and how to stab people with my blade. I was six when my father forced a gun to my hand and I was seven when the Insurrection finally began.

“My job was pretty easy; delivering missives from one settlement to other settlement. The Gristolan army didn’t suspect a child when I crossed their path. Those who did, I killed them without a second thought. That was my life for a year; go from point a to point b, try not to be kiled. It all ended when Morley lost the war and the king was executed for treason. After the war, I enrolled to the military academy in Fraeport like the other surviving child soldiers and continued to learn how to kill.”

“What happened to your parents?” Daud asked.

“My father was killed in the battlefield. My mother disappeared during the insurrection. I didn’t know what happened to her that time. I met her years later when I led Green Vipers. Apparently she fled from Wynnedown to keep herself safe. She believed Father and I would be killed in the war. I don’t blame her though. I thought I’d die too but it turned out I was good with a blade and a gun in my hands.”

Daud crossed his arms and leaned back to the couch. He had a guess Martin was a child soldier but he didn’t know he had a military root in his blood. “Continue.”

“As you might have known, the famine struck Morley a year later. People migrated to Gristol and other places. Life in the school sucked tremendously so after a few years I decided I wanted to try my luck in a big city. I stole some supplies and weapons then headed to Wynnedown.”

“How old were you when you went to Wynnedown?”

“Fourteen? Fifteen? I don’t really remember.” Martin shrugged. “Due to my military background, I had no problem defending myself from the mean gang members in Wynnedown. At some point of my life, I joined the Green Vipers, bested the leader, and became a gang leader myself. In fact, it wasn’t that long after I became the Vipers’ leader when I met you for the first time. Do you still remember?”

How could he forget? It was supposed to be a simple mission for him; go to Fraeport, steal a document from a politician, go back to Wynnedown station. In reality, once he arrived at Fraeport, he had to rush back to Wynnedown because the politician was going to Wynnedown with the document. When he found the politician, his carriage had been robbed by the notorious Green Vipers including the document he was supposed to steal. It went downhill rather fast after that.

“You slept with me to get that document,” Martin mused. “You, a man who avoided sex like it’s a plague, slept with a notorious criminal for a piece of paper. There’s no limit to what an ORS agent would do for their mission, isn’t it?”

“We’re not here to tell my story,” Daud reminded him. It was a story for another time.

Martin chuckled and drank his beer. “So, life was good for me. I robbed carriages, looted, drank, brawled, slept with everyone I desired. Ginger Jack was my second in command and I decided to sleep with him because I thought it was fun. Years later, I met his sister and decided to sleep with her too. Long story short, he found out and tried to kill me. Like I said, it’s my fault, I’ve crossed the line.”

Daud tried to ignore the unpleasant shudder running through his spine then he asked, “Was this after or before you became ‘the overseer’?”

“Before,” Martin replied. “Jack failed to kill me so he used smart way to get rid of me. He framed me for a crime I didn’t commit, he set me up and I walked blindly into his trap. The whole Wynnedown City Guard were on my ass so I went to the only place I knew would give me a protection.”

Daud had a feeling he knew who it was. “Big Ma?”

“Exactly. She helped me to cover my trail and made me disappear.”

“At what cost?”

“The cost?” Martin gave him a wry smile. “My servitude of course. I was infamous for having a silver tongue, so it was only logical if Big Ma wanted me for that.”

“Sly Snake Martin,” Daud recalled, “that’s your nickname.”

“That was my name. People called me Snake all the time, sometimes I forgot that’s not my name.” Martin grinned at him. “Anyway, one of the gig Big Ma ordered me to do required me to dress like an overseer. After that I got a lot of gigs as an overseer. I went to the Abbey often enough, the overseers really thought I was one of them. It wasn’t until Big Ma ordered me to steal the Royal Family record when I finally had to spend my whole time in the Abbey. I made friends while I was there, learned about Seven Scriptures, had my share of black magic too – many people turned to the Outsider after the famine so the field is ripe for us to harvest. After a while, I had an access to the Archive Room so I made it there and studied the record book for myself. I wanted to know why Big Ma wanted this book.”

“And?” Daud asked.

“I didn’t find anything important there, just a very long family tree of Kavanagh Dynasty and the one before them. But while I was busy in the Archive Room, I did find a chance to run away from Wynnedown. The Abbey was going to send some overseers to Dunwall so I volunteered. By some miracle, they didn’t know I wasn’t even listed as an overseer in Wynnedown Abbey. When the time came, I left Wynnedown and arrived at Dunwall to start a new life. I bought that apartment building as a failsafe in case the Dunwall overseers were sharper than Wynnedown and realized my document was a fake. I was ready to bolt out from being an overseer actually, but I passed their inspection and became a real overseer using my real name. I used fake one in Wynnedown. Nonetheless, it was a pretty ecstatic moment. I’ve yet experienced freedom like that day anymore. No more Big Ma to order me around, no more gangs war.”

“Out of all the life you could choose, you chose an overseer,” Daud summarized.

“It’s hard for me to start a gang from a scratch as a foreigner in this town. I didn’t really want to join any existing gang either either. Besides, I already had a good start with the Abbey. Seemed like a waste if I discarded it for a life as a criminal once more. The Abbey isn’t a bad place for me. It’s a place where you can raise the rank with your wits. It’s like politic but without those pretentious nobles. Zealots are easier to trick.”

“Admit it, you just want to be the High Overseer,” Daud accused. “You’re a power hungry man.”

“You know me so well, I’m flattered.” Martin chuckled. “As a matter of fact, that’s true. I always wanted to be the High Overseer. It’s a very prestigious position with an easy life compared to the Prime Minister, the Commander of Gristolan City Watch, or even you the Royal Spymaster. I just need to talk about some Seven Stricture nonsense.”

“The days sure are dark when the High Overseer himself doesn’t believe in the Seven Stricture,” he commented.

“That’s absurd when it comes out from your mouth,” Martin sneered. “Don’t forget, you’re responsible of making me the High Overseer so if you think I’m dooming Dunwall, do bear in mind that it’s your own doing.”

“So, it’s that all you want to tell me?”

The sneer was gone from his face. His eyes were sad when he casted his gaze on the wall. “No, it’s not.”

They sat in silence once more. The sound of the clock ticking from the cabinet nearby was suddenly becoming louder than usual.

“When I left Wynnedown, I took someone with me,” Martin confessed, “Eileen Gleeson, Ginger Jack’s sister.”

“You left Wynnedown with your ex-lover?” 

“She always wanted to leave Wynedown. It’s not a great place to live after the Famine and the only thing that’s keeping her there was her brother. Jack was an overprotective monster that wouldn’t let anyone touch her so she wanted an out and I gave her.”

It was a difficult information to proceed. Martin was an egoist man with an ambition higher than the sky. Why would he wanted to help someone else? “Why did you do that? Don’t lie to me, I know.”

Martin took a deep sigh then said, “Because once upon a time, I think I fell for her.”

Daud felt like the time had frozen. 

“It was a silly thing actually. I fucked her because I wanted to mess with her brother. A man tends to yearn for a thing he can’t have. But it turned out I wanted more from her. Even after the whole mess with her brother and I needed to go to Big Ma, I still came back to her. So, when I have a chance to leave Wynnedown, I asked her. She said yes.”

It was understandable to hear Martin had a past lover whom he truly loved even though it was hard to picture him as a man who was capable to love. It was a part of human nature. Martin had his flaws but he wasn’t a complete sociopath. He knew it was normal but there was a still part of him that flared jealousy; that insignificant part of him that shouldn’t be allowed to thrive at all.

“Where is she now?” Daud asked.

“She’s in New Mercantile, married to a man named Hughes with two children. I officiated her marriage, still feels like a slap to my face actually.”

Hughes? Daud knew that name. “Is she… by any chance…?”

“Yes, she’s the caretaker of my apartment.”

Daud was stunned for a moment.

“So, if you think there’s a Free Morley member there, you can ask Eileen. I don’t know if she’s still in contact with her brother or not but it won’t hurt to start from her.”

Daud brought his fingers to his chin and gave it a light scratch. What Martin just said was true, Eileen could be his key to find Free Morley. He had to investigate her as soon as possible.

“I want to ask a favor from you,” Daud told him.

“A favor?” Martin was getting irritated now. “What kind of favor? Isn’t it enough for me to tell you my whole story?”

“It’s enough for me as your partner, but I’m asking a favor as the Royal Spymaster to Teague Martin, not to the High Overseer,” Daud explained. “Go talk to Eileen and ask her about the Free Morley. You’ll have a better chance coaxing out the truth from her.”

“Why me? Why would I want to help you?”

“Because it’s your duty as a respectable member of Dunwall society to protect the empress. I’ll go with you too if you need me.” Daud sighed when he was met with Martin’s hostile glare. “We’re running out of time, Martin. I can send my men to investigate her but it will take time. And if she refused to say anything, I needed to resort to more violence technique to make her talk. Do you really want me to do that?”

“You still perform barbaric interrogation?” Martin asked with a frown.

“Do you want to find out?”

Martin didn’t budge, his eyes were still gleaming with stubbornness. Daud didn’t want to relent and kept his gaze fixed on the other man, challenging him. They were just glaring at each other for a while, not saying any words. It was probably one minute later when Martin finally yielded.

“Alright, I’m going to see Eileen and you’re going to come with me.”

“That can be arranged,” Daud agreed.

“Please refrain yourself from becoming jealous. It’s always awkward to have the current lover to see the previous lover and all.” Martin got up from the couch and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going? Come back here!” Daud demanded.

“There’s nothing I can tell you.” Martin waved his hands. “Besides, I don’t want to disturb you any longer. You need to rest.”

“I still have questions about the Green Vipers and Ginger Jack!”

“Later! I’ll tell you later! We have plenty of time for that.”

Daud watched Martin took his coat and put it on. He felt a bit awkward standing there like a statue. Martin had shared his most guarded secret. He felt like he needed to say something. It was what people did.

“Hey,” Daud called out.

Martin turned around to face him. “What?”

“Thank you for telling me all that. It must be hard for you,” he continued.

Daud didn’t know why Martin looked so surprised when he said that. His eyes went wide like he just said the most salacious thing in the whole Dunwall.

“So, you’re not bothered by my horrible past?” Martin said.

“I already know you’re a horrible human being since the first day I met you,” Daud countered.

“Oh?” Martin smirked. “What about the tale of my previous love?”

“It hardly matters anymore, doesn’t it?”

Daud should have noticed it Martin was about to do something when he saw the wicked smile had graced Martin’s face once more. He was unprepared when Martin grasped his left hand and pulled him towards him. Their lips crashed in a messy lock, noses bumping painfully against each other. Despite the messy beginning, the kiss that followed was gentle; just lips against lips. When Martin licked his lips, Daud had no heart to deny him more so he allowed him to do as he pleased. They stood there in front of the door for quite some time, losing themselves in the kiss and the embrace.

“I’m wholly yours for now,” Martin whispered once they parted for air. “And you are-” He took Daud’s left gloved hand and kissed the back of his palm. “Mine.” He kissed it again. “Can I stay for the night?”

Daud felt something stirring deep inside him. It wasn’t something he felt on regular basis and certainly not a need he pursued to fulfill – sexual attraction was a human nature after all. But right now, he thought perhaps it was the time to listen to what his body wanted. It had been a long time since they indulged in any form of sexual activity. Besides, Martin had opened up to him, it was the least he could do.

“You’re lucky I’m in the mood now,” Daud pointed out. He hissed when Martin’s hand cup him through his pants. He bat his hand away quickly. “Not so fast, bastard.”

“Someone’s eager.” Martin kissed his lips and grinded their hips together. Daud could already feel the his hardening cock brushing against his.

“You are eager,” Daud pointed out and didn’t push him away.

“You are too, you’re just in denial.” Martin stole another quick kiss and said, “Lead the way.”

Daud led Martin to his bedroom and pretended the empire was not in threat just for one night.


	10. Chapter 10

It was Wednesday afternoon when Thomas came to his office with a plain manila folder tucked under his arm. From the little frown on his face, Daud could guess the young man was here to bring bad news. Daud had received five requisition documents just an hour ago so it seemed unlikely to have Thomas bringing a new one. Report on the laughing dart from RAD wasn’t due until Thursday and there was no way those nerds were going to submit it before the deadline. It could only mean one thing; news from Morley.

Daud put down his pen and screwed his eyes shut. Despite the fact he had recovered from his cold, his headache never truly left him. He thought it would be gone after proper sleep but of course he was wrong. It seemed the whole universe with the cosmos and the void and the spheres damned him to this long lasting headache. 

Someone cleared his throat, demanding his attention. Daud finally opened his eyes and slowly turned his head to Thomas. “What is it now?” 

Thomas took note of Daud’s sour mood then subtly taking a step away from Daud. “News from Wynnedown, sir.” He handed Daud the manila folder.

Daud breathed out a long suffering sigh. He took the folder from Thomas’ hand – snatched it - then flipped it open. Inside the folder was a three pages report. He started skimming it immediately. The first page was a direct report from Wynnedown, the rest were additional information to support the content of the telegram – prepared by Intelligence Division. He heard Thomas’ footsteps heading to the staircase, steadily getting farther and farther from him. His aide had reached the bottom of the staircase when Daud finished reading the whole report.

“Thomas, wait!” Daud called him out. He got up from his seat and leaned forward to take a better look at his aide.

Thomas turned on his heel. He brought his head up, blue eyes meeting Daud’s grey ones. Even from afar, Daud could see the lines on the young man’s forehead deepened in confusion. Thomas didn’t say anything, waiting for his order.

“Summon the Top Hounds,” Daud said. His lips slowly formed a grin as he did so, earning him a confused and mortified frown from “We’ve caught some Free Morley agents in Wynnedown,” he explained.

Thomas’s eyes widened in surprise. It was a pleasant surprise, the kind that left someone relief and happy afterwards. The tension left Thomas’ frame and the smile on his face was more relaxed and natural. “Do you want anything else, sir?”

He wanted to ask for an aspirin, but he knew another dose would do more harm rather than helping him. “You’re dismissed.”

Thomas then excused himself then headed off.

Alone again with his own thought, Daud sat down and sighed. His eyes caught the sight of his audiograph player sitting right there on his desk. Sometimes - when the mood struck him or when he felt nostalgic- Daud played some music from Karnaca. Most of times, he used it to record a log. It was faster than writing it down on paper. He always found recording his thought as a relaxing way to vent off. And so he decided to plug in a blank audiograph card and activated its recording mode.

“After too many times we let Free Morley eluded us, tricked us, and played us for a fool, we finally have the upper hand. Small victory, but a victory nonetheless. There hasn’t been any good news coming from Wynnedown or any part of Morley lately so this news is good change.

“There is a whaling house in far edge corner of Wynnedown Bay; Harrington Refinery and Whaling house. Laurence Harrington, the owner, is a Gristolian merchant. We knew it would only be a matter of time for Free Morley to strike there. There’s no foreign merchants who gain profit from exploiting Morleyan resources more than Harrington and that makes him a target for Free Morley’s Gristol hating propaganda. 

“Captain O’brien – our agent – managed to get himself involved in Harrington’s business and set up an ambush for Free Morley. They provided an easy opening for them to exploit, one that they would certainly use. A bold move with a chance a failure lingering behind their back but they caught twelve member of Free Morley including the infamous Maura Brennan of Silver Cleaver that night. She could lead us to Free Morley’s leader. It would be hard to break her but I’m confidence we’ll find a way. 

“On the other notes, the raid on Silver Cleaver base went smoothly as well. Aedan and his team found some incriminating evidences on Brennan’s involvement with Free Morley. There are some letters between her and other Free Morley members. There’s no clue regarding Free Morley’s headquarter but at least with this finding, Brennan wouldn’t get away from her true crime. With that, one Free Morley general is down.”

Daud took a deep sigh.

“We still have a lot of things to do. We still don’t know where Free Morley hideout is, their leader, and their end goal. They want a ‘free Morley’, but what kind of freedom they seek? Cut all ties from the other isles and becomes a sovereign kingdom? Or do they wish to give the power to the citizen and kill the king? Do they have the power to do that? How close are those Free Morley agents from reaching Dunwall? So many questions without any real answer. I’ve grown tired of wandering in the dark.”

The audiograph player gave a soft clacking sound once it finished recording. Daud picked the card, examined it, and then put it in his drawer to join his other audiograph cards. He had plenty recordings of his personal logs. He never listened to them again but it felt good to have these things. 

Twenty minutes later, the Top Hounds arrived at the Planning Room and took a seat on their usual spot. Daud could hear Billie and Burrows’ bickering from his office and felt his headache flared once more. He shut his eyes and gave his temple a light massage to chase the pain away. It was a futile effort. His headache was still there and it went worse just by picturing Burrows’ ugly face waiting for him downstairs. With a long suffering groan, Daud got up on his feet and joined his subordinate downstairs. 

“Stop fighting like children, I can hear you from above,” Daud said as he made his way downstairs. He saw both Burrows and Billie were giving stink eyes at each other like petulant brats. These two were supposed to be best spies in the whole isles.

“He started it,” Billie suddenly said.

“What did you say you filthy street scum?” Burrows bellowed.

Rulfio covered his face with his both hands and groaned loudly into his palms. Daud shared the same sentiment.

"Shut your mouths! I don't have the energy to hear your quarrel!" Daud roared while walking towards his chair. "Billie, refrain yourself from goading Burrows. Burrows, just shut your mouth unless necessary." 

The scowl he got from Burrows was ugly. Somehow his headache only made Burrows' face look uglier than usual. "If you can prove yourself to be better than your savage urchin-" 

Daud raised his forefinger at Burrows. "Open your mouth once again and I promise I'll shoot you with a laughing dart." 

The threat managed to shut Burrows but that bald bastard was still murmuring something when Daud finally sat down on his usual chair. Daud decided to ignore him, it was barely worth his attention. Pain suddenly flared from behind his eyelids from that brief conversation with Burrows. Great. Just great. He gave his temple a light massage, willing the headache to disappear. 

"Can we start now, Lord Spymaster?" Burrows asked. 

Daud grunted. "Yes, let's begin." He casted his eyes around to stare at them one by one then he settled at Burrows. “Burrows, your report.”

Burrows gave them a summary of Wynnedown's report. There was nothing Daud didn't already know so he listened absentmindedly to Burrow's voice. He took the report Burrows laid on the table earlier and started flipping through the pages. Burrows had prepared additional information on Brennan; her personal data, family, and her involvement with Free Morley. Burrows' skill to make such comprehensive report was quite admirable actually. It made Daud trust him even less. 

"Among the twelve people we captured, ten of them are member of Silver Cleaver including Maura Brennan," Burrows explained, "the rest are Harrington Whaling House workers. It’s not clear whether they are members of Free Morley or they were forced to cooperate. We’re still waiting for more report from Captain O’brien.”

“So we have Brennan then,” Rulfio interrupted, “do we have her or did the City Guards hauled her to the prison before we could get our hands on her?”

“The special ops didn’t have anything to do with the ambush,” Burrows explained, “she’s safely locked in Wynnedown prison, I assume.”

“Can we have her for a while?” Billie demanded. “We can make her talk quickly, you know. She’s one of the general of Free Morley; she’s our prime source of information. I doubt those City Guards can make her talk. From what I’ve heard, Brennan is a strong willed woman.”

“What are you suggesting, Lurk?” Burrows snarled at her. “We can’t just kidnap her, interrogate her, and then put her back to her cell.”

Billie rolled her eyes. “For someone who leads the Intelligence Division, you really lack imagination.”

Daud was in time to send a threatening glare before Burrows could rebuke.

“We have O’brien in the City Guards, don’t we?” Billie continued. “We can use him to get Aedan into the City Guards headquarter.”

“Assuming they haven’t taken her to Maraigh Prison,” Burrows argued. “She committed treason! She’ll be send to Maraigh before she’s sent to the execution block and once they take her there, it would be impossible to do that. She’ll turn mad like other prisoners in that damned prison.”

Maraigh Prison, the Wynnedown equivalent of Dunwall’s Coldridge. It was a prison located in the edge of a cliff in the north of Wynnedown. Maraigh made Coldridge looked like a brighter place in comparison. If Tyvia had a concentration camp in the tundra, Maraigh had a lot dark isolation cells. It took times to break someone’s body but it was faster to break someone’s mind. Someone could easily mistake Maraigh for being an asylum rather than a prison with all the blank faced inmates resided there. Daud had been there once. He had an intimate knowledge on how the prison could change someone. That Void forsaken place that full of misery and death…

“Then we have to move fast before she’s transported to Maraigh!” Billie demanded. She turned to Daud. “Daud, we should move fast!”

If they moved fast, they could catch her in the City Guard prison before the magistrate arrived to decide on what to do to her. Whatever crimes they found she was guilty for would warrant her an immediate transfer to Maraigh no doubt. She would wait for her trial there, the gaoler wouldn’t send her to the isolation cell before her sentence was decided. 

“Billie, tell Aedan to and interrogate Brennan as a magister. I want him to find everything Brennan knows about Free Morley. Everything.” Daud gave his order to his Chief of Special Ops. “Set up a place for the petty sessions, makes it look authentic.”

Billie smirked. “As you wish, sir.”

“But what if she has been brought to the magister? What if she has been transferred to Maraigh?”

Daud groaned. Burrows was very annoying. “If she has then tell him to do as he sees fit. I’m trusting his judgment on this case.” 

Aedan might come from the dirtiest slum in Driscol, but his skill could marvel those who had proper education and training or those who came from wealthy family. He didn’t just have a sharp mind but also a hardened will that was born from living on the street for the majority of his life. It was hard to break him during the first month of Whaler Program, but through bitter training and reeducation, he emerged as one of Daud’s top men.

“So, that settles the matter with Brennan,” Daud concluded, “let’s move to other important issue. Burrows, how’s King’s Theatre?”

Burrows’ attention snapped back to him when he heard the words ‘King’s Theatre’. “We’re keeping the theatre under surveillance for a while. So far we can’t draw any conclusion. Everything looks normal, no unusual activity.”

“Have you tried to go inside the building?” Daud inquired dryly.

“Of course I’ve ordered them to go inside the building,” Burrows answered, clearly irritated by his accusation. “I’ve sent my men as a patron and as staffs. They haven’t found anything unusual yet.”

“Have your men acquired the floor plan?” Daud asked him. When he saw Burrows nodded his head, he continued, “Make sure there’s no hidden room somewhere in that building.”

“Hidden room, of course,” Burrows retorted.

“You’ve been in espionage world as long as I’ve been, Burrows. You know there’s always a hidden room somewhere in old buildings like the King’s Theatre,” Daud claimed.

The bald bastard didn’t say anything and rolled his eyes.

Daud felt a small spark of anger ignited deep within him. It would be too easy to succumb to his anger and just fight with Burrows but he had to make a point to Billie. A student learned from observing their teacher. How would she learn if he gave a bad example?

“Have you make notes on how many visitors the theatre has every day?” Daud asked. “If Free Morley uses King’s Theatre as a meeting place, they’re bound to have more visitors on specific day or time. Watch all entrance and exit door.”

“Already done that,” Burrows assured him. “We’re also trying to find out if there’s an increase in the number of the staffs and patrons over a few couple of months. Maybe we can determine whether there are indeed Free Morley members who work in the theatre or not.”

“Yeah, do that.” King’s Theatre was done, now to the next topic. “How about Donoghue?”

“We have some men keeping an eye on him all the time, but I haven’t received any report yet,” Burrows explained.

Daud tapped his fingers to the table as his mind raked through several of way to handle this situation. Donoghue was an important asset to this mission. He was the weakest link, the key to bring Free Morley down. They needed to find a way to break him first especially since his standing in the Free Morley had been shaken by his own moral ground.

“Search his office in the theatre and also his house. Find something to make him talk,” Daud suggested.

“I’ve had my agent to do that if Donoghue’s not a very paranoid man. He has two bodyguards with him all days, keeps the key to his office to himself without leaving any spare key, and he always keeps his office’s windows closed. He also lived in Upper Hill District, which makes it even harder to break into his house.” Burrows tapped at Hill District at the northern side of Wynnedown. 

The Upper Hill District was Wynnedown’s Estate District. The gated district system – the system with only one gate to enter and leave the district – made it the ideal residential district for the wealthy paranoid members of Wynnedown elite society. Words said the Hill District was more secured than Royal District itself. Burrows’ agents wouldn’t be able to break into District Hill.

“Sounds like a job for Special Ops,” Billie chimed in. “I reckon Aedan has enough men to spare for this operation.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. “If you think so then do it.”

“Is there any way for us to sway him?” Rulfio asked. “It could be easier than breaking into a high security district. Go close to him and make him talk.”

“Attempting to sway him might take longer than blackmailing him,” Daud argued. “We don’t have enough information to determine the best set of action to-” He stopped there. He just remembered Donoghue was a devout follower of the Abbey. Donoghue almost spilled the beans when he talked to Vice Overseer Khulan. Daud was sure he would do it again should an overseer came to him and ask the right questions.

“What is it? What’s with the abrupt pause?” Burrows demanded.

Damn. If Kieron was still in Morley, he would order the man to go to Wynnedown and coaxed the secrets from Donoghue’s mouth as an overseer. Kieron had taken a role of an overseer before and he did it flawlessly just as expected from the best slider agent in ORS. He even understood the Seven Scriptures better than an average overseer.

“Burrows, do you have anyone who can play a role of an overseer?” Daud asked him.

“We have some agents in Wynnedown. I’m sure they can be an overseer,” Burrows replied. “Do you want Donoghue to make a confession?”

“That’s the main idea,” Daud admitted. “Donoghue is devout to the Abbey. He’ll talk to an overseer.”

“But is this a good plan?” Rulfio asked. “I don’t think he’s going to talk to an overseer just like that.”

That made sense. The reason why Donoghue talked to Khulan was probably because he was the Vice Overseer. If it was just an unknown low ranking overseer, he probably wouldn’t want to open up. Could he count on Khulan’s cooperation and ask him to talk to Donoghue? If he could get Martin to order Khulan to do that…

It would take too much time, time which they didn’t have.

“Proceed with breaking into his house and office,” Daud decided, “if we can’t find anything, we’ll send a slider agent to sway him.”

They all nodded their head in agreement.

“Do you have any question?” Daud asked.

“Have you made any progress on the potential asset you mentioned on Monday meeting?” Burrows asked him.

Daud told the Top Hounds about Eileen Hughes on the previous Monday meeting. He told them the general information on Eileen but he didn’t disclose her identity as the younger sister of Ginger Jack to them, but he mentioned she could be an important asset and he would recruit her himself and he didn’t need Burrows’ recruiter agent to be involved. Lucky for him, Billie was tactful enough to keep Martin’s name to herself.

“Not yet but soon. I’ll inform you if I’ve made any progress,” Daud replied.

“This is why you should leave the matter of recruiting an asset to my division,” Burrows ranted, “if this woman is really important, we need her soon. We don’t know where those Free Morley are right now.”

“I’m working on it,” Daud told him. “How’s the progress with the hunter Malone?”

“He’s still under our investigation,” Burrows answered. “I took time to determine whether this man is clean or not. For all I know, he could be a member of Free Morley.”

“It’s a good thing I have my people watching over that cave, isn’t it?” Billie shot Burrows a wry smile.

Daud took a deep sigh, not again. He turned to Billie. “Billie, any sighting of any suspicious group near Dunwall?”

“No, nothing,” Billie replied.

“I still think we should take Mutcherhaven Disctrict into consideration,” Rulfio said, “it is a prime spot to hide from the authority with so many empty big manors. It’s a barren district ripe for criminal activity.”

“And I’ve told you on Monday meeting that I can hardly spare more people to go there, old man. I’m understaffed,” Billie countered, annoyed. “There’s a reason why we’re called Special Ops, there’s not many of us to spare.”

“I don’t blame you, Billie. I’m just hoping we have some agents there.” Rulfio turned to Burrows and gave him a disappointed look.

“Oh now you’re blaming me?” Burrows ranted.

“Enough!” Daud banged his fist to the table. “I’ll ask Curnow to order his men to investigate that district. I’m going to meet him today. Which reminds me, Burrows, I need your report on the latest threats we found in Dunwall.”

“I have that right here.” Burrows threw a folder that had been sitting on the desk from the beginning of the meeting to Daud’s face. 

“The guards couldn’t do anything without us,” Billie commented.

“And we can’t do our work without their help,” Daud pointed out, “as you’ve mentioned, we don’t have a lot of staffs here. And remember, it was the Watch who captured Crimson Waters, not us.”

Curnow sent an official report on Monday regarding Daud’s request for an assistance in tracking the Free Morley around Whitecliff’s vicinity. They didn’t find any trace of Free Morley, but Whitecliff City Watch managed to catch Crimson Waters as they tried to flee from Whitecliff Sea Patrol. Travis admitted he was guilty of transporting thirty two Free Morley agents and would be tried for treason in due time. This finding at least told them that Free Morley was on their way to Dunwall and they had to be ready.

“So, any other questions?” Daud swept his eyes across the room. When no one said anything he continued, “You’re dismissed.”

***

The coordination meeting with Curnow ended well. There was nothing much to discuss with Curnow. The crime rate in Dunwall was a bit mild these days, a blessing since they needed to focus on Free Morley. Curnow had already briefed him on what happened in Whitecliff. The only thing they needed to discuss was the Mutcherhaven Disctrict investigation and it didn’t take much time to do so. Curnow knew how to manage his men and he was sharp enough to understand what Daud wanted him to do. In the end the meeting ended before six in the afternoon. It was earlier than Daud thought it would be.

“I hope this mess with Free Morley will end soon,” Curnow said when he accompanied Daud in the City Watch Headquarter’s lobby to wait for his carriage while Daud himself was smoking his cigarette. They were both standing in the quieter corner of the lobby. “You’re really sure Lady Emily is safe?”

“We can only hope so,” Daud replied. He told Curnow that Emily was Free Morley’s main target but he didn’t tell him what he had done to ensure her safety. Some details were better left unspoken.

“I forgot to ask you earlier, but will Callista be alright? I imagine she has to stay with Emily all the time to keep an eye on her, doesn’t she?”

“Don’t worry, I have my men looking after Emily and your niece. She’s going to be fine,” Daud told him. She probably had a good time in Karnaca. Theodanis was an excellent host who would give the best service to his guest.

“Ah yes, I believe you’re right,” Curnow said. “I’m sorry to bother you with my question.”

“Don’t be. I know she’s important to you.”

“Yes, she might be my niece but she felt more like a daughter to me,” Curnow said. “I know she’s all grown up but I still can’t stop worrying about her.” 

“A good parent will always do,” Daud commented. His mind drifted to his earlier recruits like Billie and Kieron. They were pretty young when he first trained them.

Curnow gave him a small smile. “I almost think you’re speaking from experience, Daud.” 

“I trained a lot of kids before I became the spymaster,” Daud explained.

The other man’s lips tugged into big grin. “Are you good with children then?”

“I wouldn’t say so,” Daud said, “I trained teenagers mostly. I didn’t recruited children below twelve years old.”

“It’s because you hold yourself with such authority, it makes younglings obey you.”

Daud thought about Billie and Burrows and how ridiculous it was to have two full grown adults behaving worse than a twelve years old. 

“Do you want to have children yourself?”

Daud scoffed. “I’m hardly a father material.” He took a drag of his cigarette.

Curnow was silent for a while. Daud thought he was running out of small talk topics and wouldn’t say anything until his carriage arrived. He was proven wrong when Curnow said, “Speaking about children and family, can I ask you a personal question, Daud?”

That question was suspicious. Daud considered it for a minute, judging the pro and con of it. In the end he agreed because Curnow was a good friend and a useful ally. He wanted to be in his good grace. “What do you want to ask?”

Curnow casted a wary look around there, noticing the position of any other guards in their vicinity. They seemed to avoid being too close to their superior and the Royal Spymaster so no one could hear their conversation.

“Are you and…” He didn’t finish his sentence but Daud understood who he was referring to by his vague hand gesture that could be interpreted as someone who wore mask. “Closer than we think you are?”

Daud didn’t need more explanation. He knew Curnow was asking whether he and Martin were more than just a close allies and had intimate relationship. It should be alarming to hear Curnow ask this question. He and Martin tried to keep this a secret and all. But somehow, he didn’t feel scared or worried, instead he felt slightly irritated.

“And why are you asking me this?” Daud asked back.

“Because I just want to know if I can trust him or not,” Curnow replied. “Don’t get me wrong, Daud, but Martin doesn’t look like someone you can trust.”

Curnow got a point. Martin permeated an air of pretentiousness, it made it hard to believe his words for someone as perceptive as Curnow. Martin might play his part well but there were small details that he couldn’t hide. His smile that never reached his eyes was a telltale sign of someone who always had something in his mind, something bad and malicious. The leer he gave to other people suggested the envious and ambitious man inside. Martin raised Daud’s red flag when he first met him and time they met again in Dunwall years and years later.

“I trust you, Daud,” Curnow continued, “you’re a hard man, a little bit too bloodthirsty and violent but I know you’re true to your words. So if someone like you decide to be with someone like him, I could only guess he can be trusted.”

Daud stayed silent and took another drag of his cigarette.

“For you to stay together for so long… Do you love each other?”

Daud never entertained the notion of love. Love was something you saw in Corvo and Jessamine. What he had for Martin was something that couldn’t be described by a single word. He had so many conflicting feelings towards Martin. He knew Martin was untrustworthy and yet he trusted him. He didn’t think pleasure was something he had to seek and yet he willingly indulged in it with Martin. All Daud knew was Martin made a fool out of him and he didn’t mind it.

“You don’t necessarily have to trust him. There’s no guarantee he won’t betray your trust but I know he won’t betray me and I won’t betray him.”

Curnow looked like he was struck by something. He was taken aback by Daud’s words. When he broke eye contact, Daud saw his cheeks grew a bit redder. He was ashamed for what he had asked to Daud. “That’s good to hear.”

A guard ran towards their direction. He told them Daud’s carriage was ready and waiting for him. Daud quickly snuffed his cigarette on an ashtray.

“I’m counting on you,” Daud told Curnow before he went.

“Leave it to me,” Curnow said. After a few moment of hesitation, he added, “I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”

Daud grinned at him. What a decent man. “How do you know?”

“I saw it. The staircase.”

Daud cheeks grew warmer as he recalled the kiss Martin stole before the Privy Council meeting started. It was their own fault for doing that in open public space like that. At least it was Curnow who caught them red handed.

“Well, I’ll see you soon, Lord Spymaster,” Curnow said and assuming more formal posture.

“See you later, Commander.”

***

“Stop here.”

Daud could see the confusion on his carriage driver’s face when he turned around to address him properly, “Are you sure, sir?”

Daud was on his way home from the City Watch Headquarter. He had changed into his civilian clothes. His dark red coat and all of its attributes were laid neatly on the seat next to him.

“We’re still far from the Riverside District, sir.”

“I know.” Daud took a peek from his carriage window. He was a couple blocks away from New Mercantile. If he stopped here, he could go there without causing any scene. Only the wealthy and important used carriage in this city. It would draw people attention if he showed up there with one.

“If you say so, sir.”

The carriage stopped not far from the intersection. Daud opened the door and said to the driver, “Bring my coat back to Kingsparrow.”

Daud didn’t wait for the carriage to leave and immediately headed to New Mercantile. He kept his head low, carefully merging into the crowd of people who were heading to the same direction as himself. He get through the looming city wall and stepped into New Mercantile without a fuss. He casted his glance around his surroundings as he wandered around the district. He noticed there were more City Guards in the district but their numbers weren’t overwhelming enough to make people start wondering why there were more City Guards now. They couldn’t risk to have the Free Morley agents in this town to notice about this and knew the authority knew about them.

Once he was finished inspecting the district, Daud headed towards the Green Clover pub. The pub was crowded with its boisterous patrons who most likely just finished their working shift and decided to take a pint or two there. Daud was acutely aware of people looking at his direction as he made his way to the bartender. Judging from their accents, most of the patrons here were native Morleyans. They probably were intrigued to see a new face here. Daud paid them no mind, got his drink, and occupied the farthest booth from the door to nurse his beer in silence. 

He wouldn’t admit it but sitting in this unfamiliar pub with people gave him a curious side glances on occasion was unsettling. It was ridiculous how this used to be his daily life; go to a pub, look at the people, chat with them a little bit. He had been stuck behind the desk for far too long. Even during his tenure as the Chief of Special Ops he spent more times in Kingsparrow than be on an actual mission. It wasn’t a good sign. A blade could become blunt over the time if it didn’t get a proper care.

Daud saw a familiar figure come inside the pub. Even without his ostentatious red coat, Daud could recognize Martin from afar. He raised his hand when he noticed Martin was looking for him. It didn’t take long until the man found him and sat on the same booth with him.

“Do I keep you waiting?” Martin asked. “I’m pretty sure I got the time right when I left Holger Square.”

“My meeting with Curnow ended sooner,” Daud explained.

“Hmm, good for you then.” Martin raised his hand and called the waiter. 

Daud was surprised when he heard Martin using heavy Morleyan accent when he ordered his drink from the waiter. He even chatted with her and made her laugh, earning him a playful slap on his shoulder playfully before she left him to fetch the beer.

“You’re a regular here?” Daud guessed.

“You can say so,” Martin said with his normal Gristolan accent. “Sometimes I miss Morley so I come to the pub a lot. People don’t recognize me, thankfully. New Mercantile is too far from Holger Square and I never use Gristolan accent when I talk with people here. It’s normal to miss your hometown.”

Daud hummed his agreement and took a sip of his beer.

“How about you? Do you miss Karnaca?”

“Sometimes,” Daud answered.

“I haven’t been to Karnaca before. Must be nice to have warm weather all the time.”

“It wouldn’t be pleasant for you. It can be quite hot.”

“But I want to see your beach. Beaches in Morley are dull and gray like we have here in Gristol. I hear there’s a beach in Karnaca that has white sand and the sea is the bluest blue you can ever imagine. Sounds like a great place for a holiday.”

Daud snorted at the image of Martin lounging in the beach. It was probably the most ridiculous thing that had passed his mind.

“Hey, let’s go to Karnaca someday.”

The request was so sudden and absurd, Daud didn’t know how to react. He just stared at Martin like he had lost his mind. “Why do you want to go there?”

“You’ve seen my hometown. I want to see yours too.”

Before Daud could reply, the waiter came to give Martin his beer and they chatted a bit. Daud was grateful of the interruption since he wasn’t sure what to say to Martin. They were both busy people with important roles, they couldn’t take a month vacation to Karnaca. Martin’s request was ridiculous but he found himself wanting to go to Karnaca with Martin to be far more ridiculous. Old age made him soft and sentimental.

“So, you’re going to take me to Mrs. Hughes now?” Daud asked.

“So impatient.” Martin drank his beer. “I’ll take you to her but you’re the one who’s going to do all the talking. I’m just going to be there to look pretty.”

“You’re not pretty,” Daud pointed out with a smirk before he took a sip of his beer.

“Eileen is a bit fond of my face.” He rubbed his cheek and down to his chin in a disturbing manner.

Daud rolled his eyes. There was no use biting on Martin’s bait. “By the way, Curnow knows about us now.”

“Oh?” Martin raised an eyebrow. He didn’t seemed to be alarmed or anything.

“It’s your fault, you know.”

“Hmm, it could be,” Martin said, “well, I’m more surprised he didn’t know it sooner.”

Martin finished his drink not long after that. After leaving a large tip to the bartender, they left the pub and headed off. Martin led him through the bustling street of New Mercantile with ease, it almost seemed he had lived here for a long time. He appeared to have intimate knowledge on the district as he babbled out some story about the district to Daud. No one stopped to greet him though. It made Daud wonder to what extend Martin’s involvement to the Morleyan community in this particular district. Maybe it would be something he needed to ask Martin in the future.

“Here we are,” Martin announced once they reached their destination.

Martin’s apartment building wasn’t something that could be boasted in social gathering like Havelock’s pub in the Old Port District. It was relatively small building and located in the farthest corner from the district center. Despite all that, the four storied building looked well maintained for the outside. It didn’t look shady or anything.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go inside,” Martin called him out.

The Hughes occupied the room on the first floor. Martin was the one who knocked on the door while Daud purposely stood on the spot where he couldn’t be seen by the house resident when they opened the door. People tended to react badly when they saw a gruff man with big scar on his face.

The door swung open and a woman’s voice with subtle Morleyan accent greeted Martin, “Teague! I don’t know you’re going to come!” Daud could only guess it was Eileen Hughes herself. No one would dare to address Martin with his first name and still breathed.

“Eileen, are you busy? I need to talk to you,” Martin said in his usual Gristolan accent.

“Well, I have nothing to do and my husband is taking the kids to see their grandma so no, I’m not busy.” What a coincidence. Daud didn’t think he could pick a better day.

“Actually, it’s not me who wants to talk to you but my friend over here.” Martin turned to Daud. He took it as his cue to make himself known.

As he stepped into Eileen’s view, Daud noticed Eileen’s green eyes grew big with wary and confusion. Her red hair was tied into a bun at the back of her hair with some strands of grey hair protruding here and there. She had a face that made people trust her. It was clear from the way she held herself that she spent a lot of times indoor, probably stuck to this building to take care any kind of problems presented by the tenants. This was certainly not someone Daud would associate with an anarchist group like Free Morley but a look could be deceitful and the brightest smile could blind you from the truth. No matter how kind she appeared to be, Daud wouldn’t trust her.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself?” Martin suggested.

“I’m Daud the Royal Spymaster. I’m here to ask you some question about your brother,” Daud answered.

The fear intensified in her eyes. She was frozen in her place.

“We can have this talk either in your place or in Kingsparrow. Your choice,” Daud continued.

“Don’t be too cruel to her, Daud,” Martin cut in. He rested a hand on Eileen’s shoulder. “He won’t hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”

There was a small spark jealousy ignited within Daud but he quickly snuffed it out. He knew what Martin as trying to do. He used his close relationship with her to manipulate her to cooperate. Judging from how she immediately leaned to Martin’s touch, she had no issue in trusting Martin. This whole display was unsettling.

Eileen opened the door wider and stepped aside. “Please come in.”

The inside of her place was modest at best. Nothing extravagant was displayed there. There were some framed paintings and potted plants to decorate her living room, but aside from those things there were nothing but basic necessities. It was a bit cramped too considering the room wasn’t big and four people lived in this place. When offered to take the couch, Daud refused and sat on a recliner instead. Both Eileen and Martin took the couches instead.

“So,” Eileen began, “what do you want to ask?”

“I’m going to tell you one thing before we begin,” Daud said. “This is not an interrogation, I’m merely asking questions here. If you cooperate, I promise I won’t take any drastic measure to process you. But if you lie to me – and I’m really good at detecting lies – I promise you’ll regret it.”

Eileen turned to Martin, silently asking for any guidance.

“Do as he said. He won’t be cruel to you if you don’t give him any reason to be,” Martin told her.

Eileen looked back to Daud then quickly turned to Martin once again. She was unable to stare at Daud right in his eyes. A sign of shame? Of guilt? Her body language didn’t look hostile. In fact she looked anxious. Her fear was palpable in her tensed shoulder and frozen face.

“If you want to cooperate with me willingly, I promise you won’t get into any trouble for being an accomplice of Free Morley,” Daud told her.

Her eyes went huge as she gasped in fear. She clenched her fist, mouth agape like Daud just stole her breath. “Accomplice?” she asked weakly while directing her gaze at Daud. Eye contact, interesting. She didn’t seem confused. She was scared.

“Being an accomplice of a terrorist group is enough to send you to Coldridge. It even enough to warrant you a life sentence or an execution,” he continued.

“I’m not an accomplice!” Eileen bawled. “Please, listen to me! I’m not like that!” 

She bit his bait. Good. Daud knew she wasn’t an accomplice, but she definitely had something to do with Free Morley. Innocent people at this situation would express confusion or even anger. She showed only desperation and trepidation. She could be an unwilling accomplice, forced by her brother to help him and his gang.

Daud rested his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward. “Explain from the start.”

Eileen gulped. She became unsure once more. Just when he thought he lost her, Martin put his hand on Eileen’s shoulder and whispered something to her ears. His voice was too low for Daud to hear him so he didn’t know what he was saying to Eileen. She became less agitated after that. Daud wondered what Martin told her.

“Are you still in contact with your brother?” Daud asked.

Martin had his hand slide down to Eileen’s elbow and up to her shoulder again. The gesture managed to calm her even more. Interesting. Daud had never seen Martin using physical touch to manipulate someone before. It was slightly disturbing.

“Yes, we’re still sending letter to each other,” she admitted. “We were… You can say we were close. We grew up without a parent and Jack practically raised me so that was why he became so overprotective over me. That’s why when Teague offered me to go to Dunwall, I accepted. I can’t be my own woman with Jack behind my back so I chose to run. But after a few years living apart from my brother, I missed him. That’s why I tried to send him a letter. After dozen of unanswered letter later, I finally got a reply. We began writing to each other after that.”

“Did he tell you about Free Morley?” Daud asked again.

Eileen nodded her head.

“Did he tell you he’s going to Dunwall with other Free Morley agents?” he inquired further.

“He did.”

“Did he ask you to spread the word about Free Morley or their plan to come to Dunwall?”

Eileen shook her head. “I don’t talk much about Free Morley here – I don’t need too. We all know about Free Morley. People who have relatives in Wynnedown all know about Free Morley, Lord Spymaster. It’s the only thing people talk about in the pub. I try to stay away from that topic when I talk with other people lest I tell them something that I shouldn’t say.”

“So it’s not you who spread the rumor about Free Morley coming to Dunwall?”

Eileen became tensed again. Martin pat her on her shoulder once more to ease the tension. “It’s my fault. I blurted it out to my neighbor and then it spread like wildfire.” Her shoulders tensed once more as she bit her lips. She turned her gaze away from Daud.

“There’s more,” Daud said, “don’t hold it back. What happened after you started that rumor?”

“After that… Someone came to me, a Free Morley agent named Jeremy Malone.”

Jeremy Malone. It was the hunter Billie found during her first investigation in New Mercantile and the man ORS tried to recruit as a spy. Void be damned, they were so stupid! Burrows claimed he was still conducting an investigation on Malone to determine whether they could trust him or not. 

“What did Malone do?” Daud asked.

“He asked me how I knew about the rumor and I told him about Jack. Then… He started to… Maybe he thought I’m one of them and tried to persuade me to help him in his effort to assist the Free Morley agents that are coming to Dunwall. I said no but he kept asking me to at least come to the meeting with the rest of the Free Morley supporters on next Monday. He said someone from Free Morley will be there too.”

If Free Morley would be there too, could that mean they had arrived at Dunwall? Billie’s men hadn’t said anything about it. Damn! He needed to talk with Billie after this.

“What did you say to him??”

“I said I’ll think about it but honestly, I don’t want to get involved in this mess.”

“Did he mention where this meeting will take place?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Daud weighed his options. In one hand he got a prime asset to be in the center of the Free Morley. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if this woman was right for that role. She was jumpy and most likely to blow up her cover. There was Chester but Daud didn’t think Chester could just piggy back Eileen into the meeting without raising any questions. But he also had a new name – well not entirely new, he had already put Malone under investigation. The real question here was how could the Intel division miss this?

“I’m going to ask you something,” Daud said, “you don’t have to say yes, but it’ll worth your time. The Empire would thank you for that and I’ll make sure the empress would reward you.”

She didn’t look comfortable with that offer. “Yes?”

“I want you to go to Malone, tell him that you agree to go to his meeting, then stay there for as long as you’re required to. We’re going to wire you with listening device. It’s small and almost unnoticeable, they won’t see it.”

“But isn’t it dangerous? I don’t…”

Martin quickly leaned to her and whispered something too low for Daud’s ears to hear. He couldn’t see his lips too so he couldn’t read his lips either. Eileen said something back to Martin softly, this time with thicker Morleyan accent that made it hard for Daud to pick up. Daud could only watch them conversing in their native accent. In the end Martin seemed to win the argument. There was a small smug smile in his face when he leaned away from Eileen.

“I’ll do it,” Eileen said. What did Martin say to her in order to change her mind like that?

“After we’re with the meeting, we’ll send you a payment. Is this alright with you?”

Eileen slowly nodded her head. “That would do.”

Daud didn’t prolonged his stay and bid her farewell. He left after he arranged some detail regarding how to contact ORS and agreed to report to Chester. She had met him before and it wouldn’t be strange if she was seen talking to Chester. 

“I hope that settles everything,” Martin commented during their walk back to Dunwall city wall.

“It doesn’t settles everything but it helps,” Daud corrected him. He let the silence linger for a while; just them enjoying their walk under the clear night sky. The street was still bustling with rowdy group of people in different state of intoxication. “Thank you for your help.”

“Don’t mention it.” Martin shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal.

“What did you say to her?” Daud finally asked him.

“Just a word of encouragement, nothing special.” Martin waved him off. “I’ve known her for decades, I know what to say to push her.”

“Do you know how to manipulate me too?” Daud wasn’t surprised when Martin’s steps came into a halt. When Daud turned to him and asked, “Why do you stop?”

“Do you think I manipulate you?” Martin asked back in neutral tone. He sounded like he was just asking about the weather or inquiring about Daud’s day but his face was dangerously blank, devoid from any palpable emotion. Daud had known Martin long enough to notice this was his face when he tried to keep something a secret.

“You’ve showed no qualm at manipulating your ex-lover to do what you want her to do,” Daud pointed out. “An ex-lover whom you admitted you had a feeling for. I have a good reason to suspect you’re doing the same thing to me.”

They stood there at the street in silence. Daud could hear someone was laughing in the distance.

“I thought to do that at first,” Martin confessed.

Daud ignored the sinking feeling he felt inside him.

“But,” Martin continued, “I know now I don’t have to do that.”

One could argue what Martin had said was nothing and no one should trust a liar like him. Those people could say anything they wanted. They didn’t see the rare sincerity in Martin’s eyes when he said that. It wasn’t something that could be faked. It showed him that under layers and layers of deception, Martin still had a heart. Daud knew how hard and painful it was to peel those layers and gave a peek to his deepest core because Daud wasn’t the most honest man either. There were things he kept from the world, things he buried and hid even from Corvo. They were both men of secrets and in those secrets they thrived and became the men they were now.

“We’re both horrible men,” Daud said, “but maybe two wrongs can make things right.”

Martin let out a loud and undignified laughter. Strangely enough, Daud didn’t feel offended and joined him with a chuckle. “You are the worst man I know,” Martin told him. “Good night, Daud.”

A small smile crept to his face. “Good night, Martin.”


	11. Chapter 11

The Empress was visibly more distracted when Daud met her on his weekly report on Friday. Her usual razor sharp focus wasn’t there when Daud told him everything he had gathered so far. Her gaze was distant, her eyes kept coming back to the window and to the sea beyond the horizon. She had sighed for five times since the meeting began and unlike her usual sigh, Daud wasn’t the one who caused them. A worried frown adorned her face like a permanent feature that couldn’t be removed. It wasn’t hard to guess the reason behind her sorrow; Emily. Daud could sympathize with her – he wasn’t a cold hearted bastard like most people in Privy Council accused him to be - but it was hardly the time to act like this. 

“Oh fuck the Void, can you at least pretend you’re listening to me?” Daud yelled when he finally had enough of this pathetic empress he was forced to interact with. She didn’t even look at him for about ten minutes straight.

Jessamine shifted her gaze from the window to him and narrowed her eyes into a glare. There was no actual heat behind that glare. 

“This is a waste of time!” Daud leaned back to his chair and crossed his arms. “Can I just go back home now? I have things to do after this.”

“Daud,” Corvo called his name from behind the empress’ chair. His monotone spoke loudly of the colorful threat he laced into his name.

“I know she’s worried about her daughter but it doesn’t give her a free pass to neglect her job,” Daud pointed out.

“My Lord Spymaster, please refrained yourself from acting like I’m not present in this very room,” Jessamine finally opened her mouth.

“You almost fool my there, Your Majesty. I thought you’re a statue or a mannequin,” Daud sneered at her.

Jessamine’s glare became more heated. Daud glared back at her. They engaged in a long glaring game before Corvo’s loud sigh finally broke them apart.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, right now you’re an empress not a mother so act like one!” Daud demanded. “We don’t need a weak empress now.”

“What is an empress if not a mother to her people, Lord Spymaster?” Jessamine argued back. 

Daud rolled his eyes. He didn’t appreciate it when his words were used against him like this. “You can’t run an empire by being a mother, Your Majesty! You can’t coddle your people like you do to your own child. You have to lead them!”

“Sounds like what a mother does to me,” Jessamine said. “A leader who doesn’t see themselves as a parental figure to their subjects will abuse their power. My love to my people is the one that keep me from being a dictator.”

Daud clenched his jaw and dug his curled his fingers until his leather glove creaked. He didn’t come here to argue about how to be a good ruler. He had little interest in politics and philosophy. “I’m not here to talk about how good you are as an empress,” he reminded her.

“You’re the one who started it remember,” she countered.

Daud could feel a headache growing in the back of his head. He brought his hand to his neck and tried to give himself a massage. It wouldn’t do him any good to rile her even more.

“But you’re right, Daud,” Jessamine said. “I shouldn’t dwell on my own misery and should always put the safety of this empire before everything. For that, I apologize.”

Daud could tell the difference between sweet talk and genuine apology. Jessamine didn’t just apologize for the sake of an apology, she truly meant her words. If Daud was asked to tell what Jessamine’s biggest strength as a ruler, he would answer - without any doubt - her sincerity. It was the one that bound this chaotic empire and kept it together. She made him believe that maybe a kind heart still had a place in this dark world. Maybe it was exactly what the world needed; a light to shine through the darkness.

“Can you start once again, Lord Spymaster?” she requested. “What happened in King’s Theatre raid.”

Daud looked at Corvo, asking for his opinion. His friend nodded his head in silent encouragement. Daud took a deep breath and tried not to groan in frustration.

“News from Wynnedown,” Daud began, “we have captured twenty seven members of Free Morley during their weekly meeting in the King’s Theatre. The raid didn’t go as smoothly as they thought it would be. There were some casualties. Three on the City Guard’s side and six people died on the Free Morley’s side. Among the casualties, there’s one Keane Byrne who has been confirmed as one of Free Morley’s generals. So with him down, Free Morley has lost two of their four generals.”

“What happened to Brennan? You said you’ve caught her?” Jessamine inquired.

“We’ve interrogated her and got every information she had. That’s how we know about the meeting room in the King’s Theatre actually. Unfortunately for us, she doesn’t know who her leader is; the Head as she called them. She knows nothing about them, said her orders came through mails. She’s now on her way to Maraigh.”

“And the other generals? There are two other generals, isn’t it?”

“Rod is on his way to Dunwall with Green Viper and Black Eyes. As for Donoghue, we-” Daud breathed out a dejected sigh. “We lost Donoghue.”

“What?” Jessamine barked, her fingers curled into a fist. “How can you let him go? Isn’t he important?”

Daud didn’t need Jessamine to point out how fucked he was when the news arrived to his desk. According to the Intel team, Donoghue vanished the day before the raid on King’s Theatre. He was last seen entering the Upper Hill district and he hadn’t left the district afterwards. After the raid, Aedan and his team broke into his house and found a bloody crime scene waiting for them.

Donoghue’s wife and children were all dead, their necks sliced and left to bleed to death. The servants were found dead with gaping wound on their back or stomach, clearly failing their attempt to run away from whoever responsible for this gore. Based on the state of decomposition, they had been dead for three days. There was no sign of Donoghue; no dead body which meant the man was still alive. His office and bedroom were ransacked. It seemed the culprit took every document Donoghue kept his house. They even took his script and left nothing behind.

“I believe Free Morley kidnaped him from his home and took anything that could link Donoghue back to them,” Daud said, sparing her the gory detail. “Perhaps they knew Donoghue was being watched so they needed to hide him lest he babbles their secret to the authority.”

“How’s his home?” Corvo butt in. “Any sign of struggle or anything?”

Daud didn’t want to delve further into this but Corvo asked him so he replied, “His home was trashed, his wife, children, and his entire household staffs were all killed-”

“They were killed?!” Jessamine gasped, her eyes widened in shock. “Who did that to them and why?”

“Not us, I can assure you,” Daud replied, not missing the hidden suggestion behind her words, “my bet is on Free Morley.”

“Why would they kill them all? To prevent them to call the guards?” Corvo suggested.

“Possibly,” Daud agreed with him.

“They seem go to a great length to kidnap a guy,” Corvo mused while scratching his jaw. “Could they just snatch him from the road? It sounds easier than breaking into his house and kill the whole household.”

Daud frowned at Corvo. “Are you suggesting something, Corvo?”

“Could it be… they wanted to kill Donoghue and his whole family?”

Daud uncrossed his arms and scratched his jaw. That sounded like the most plausible scenario. Maybe Free Morley noticed Donoghue’s change of heart and decided to eliminate him. Maybe this whole display was intended to serve as a warning to their members.

“But you said Donoghue disappeared,” Jessamine pointed out, “you don’t find his body, do you?”

“He probably managed to get away,” Daud told her. He took a moment to ponder on this matter in silence. If Donoghue was hiding from Free Morley, then it would be easier for them to sway him and tell them everything.

“Right now the local authority has been informed about this. Let them take lead on the investigation, I’ll have my men find Donoghue. I also plan to have my Special Ops team secure the King’s Plaza for the Grand Feast day. We can only assume Free Morley would do something to sabotage the feast like High Overseer Martin suggested during our Privy Council meeting.”

“Let’s hope nothing bad would happen,” Jessamine agreed and nodded her head. “Now, what else should I know?”

“We’ve found a small group of Free Morley’s supporters in New Mercantile and their meeting place,” Daud told her. “Their next meeting is on Monday. We’re going to send an agent and put a listening device on her.”

“Listening device?” Jessamine asked.

“It’s a gadget my team from RAD made a couple years ago.”

“Is that why ORS requires so many coins every month? Because you make your own toys?” Jessamine inquired further.

“Why do you sound so surprise, Your Majesty? Didn’t you read the financial report I sent to you every moth?” Daud raised his eyebrow in challenge. 

Red spot blossomed on her cheeks. “I have Lord Carmichael as the Secretary of Royal Treasury to read every financial report you send to me. And since he has never complained anything regarding your choice of expense, I’m sure you’ve been spending our coins wisely.” Daud rolled his eyes so hard at Jessamine’s blatant try to hide her negligence.

“Anyway,” Daud continued, “we’re hoping to find some vital information from them because someone from Free Morley will also be there.”

Daud could only hope his judgment to involve Eileen would work well. As far as he knew, Malone suspected nothing when Eileen told him she would come to their meeting. He told her where to meet him and the rest of his group; Jacob’s Coffee House. There was a private meeting room upstairs where the meeting would take place. Lucky for them, there was a hotel right next to Jacob’s place and they had an empty room to rent. Daud’s men had set a safe house there for the meeting. They were still within the range of the listening device so it wouldn’t be a problem. 

“Someone from Free Morley?” Corvo asked, eyes frozen in horror. “They’re here already?”

“We don’t know for sure. Our asset is invited to a Free Morley meeting and she was told that the real member of Free Morley will be there as well,” Daud explained. “As for today, I haven’t received any words from my men who are looking for their possible hideout. Dunwall outskirt is vast, even with the Watch to help us, it’s still impossible to sweep every nook to find where those bastards hide.”

It was really strange. It had been a week and there was no words from Billie’s men who were scouring the woods around New Mercantile. Billie and Burrows constantly argued about her wish to send a search party but in the end Daud denied her wish and sent her to focus on the next Monday’s operation.

“Are you planning on setting an ambush as well?” Corvo asked him.

“No, we’re just going to listen,” Daud replied, “I’m going to be there to supervise the operation myself.”

“Are you?” Corvo then tapped Jessamine’s shoulder. When she turned to him, he said, “I want to go with Daud. I think they’re going to talk about their plan to infiltrate the Tower. I need to hear it.”

Jessamine frowned, she wasn’t pleased to hear it. “Do you really have to do that?”

“Hearing the information first hand can give me a deeper understanding on this matter. I’m guessing that’s why you want to be there on person, aren’t you Daud?” Corvo turned to Daud.

“More or less,” Daud replied. “I could use more hand actually.” With some of Billie’s men still on their scouting mission, he only had Billie and three other special ops agents as a backup. 

“You hear him, Jessamine,” Corvo said to her, black eyes locking with her own dark ones. “I won’t be long and it’s not a dangerous job. I’ll be fine.”

Jessamine’s frown deepened. She looked like she wanted to argue but Corvo’s gaze kept her from raising any objection. Daud was left waiting as the third wheel while they both were engaged in their silent argument. He wasn’t pleased to say it wasn’t the first time he was stuck in this situation.

“You two are going to stop having eye sex now or do I need to give you a room?” Daud complained, not bothering to mask his irritation.

Jessamine shifted her gaze to Daud and glared. “Corvo can go with you.”

Corvo mumbled his thanks to Jessamine 

Daud turned to Corvo, “Come to my house on Monday. I’ll give you more detail soon. Don’t make me regret inviting you to this operation.”

Corvo nodded his head. “You won’t. As you may have heard, I’m the best sword fighter in Dunwall and I’ll save your ass if trouble arise. It’ll be just like old time.”

“I don’t remember needing you to save my ass,” Daud retorted.

“A bad memory is a sign of old age,” Corvo pointed out with a small smirk.

Daud pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you aware that I’m just three years older than you?”

Jessamine rolled her eyes. “The Void takes you two! Corvo, Daud, please act like an adult! You’re the Royal Protector and the Royal Spymaster!” she scolded them both like a mother to her sons. Daud remembered his mother did the same when they were being childish like this. It was a proof that there were things that would remain the same in someone’s life. There were still a trace of their innocent childhood buried deep beneath all the ugly mess they called life. 

Daud watched Corvo shut his mouth, straightened his back, and then threw him a small smug smirk. Some things remained the same indeed.

“So that concludes my report,” Daud said. “Do you have any question? I really need to go now if you don’t mind.”

“Why the rush, Daud?” Jessamine asked with a deep frown etched to his face. “Is there any emergency?”

“Everything is fine,” Daud replied, “I just need to see Martin after this.” 

The sly smirk on Corvo’s face spoke of his lewd things that crossed his mind.

“It’s not like what you think,” Daud corrected the pervert bastard.

Corvo’s smirk grew wider. Daud swore he would punch his nose if it wasn’t for Jessamine’s threatening glare.

“Alright, I won’t keep you from your _date_ ,” Jessamine told him and slumped to her seat with a deep sigh. “We’re done now. You’re dismissed, Lord Spymaster.”

Knowing it was pointless to explain why he had to meet Martin to those two fools, Daud got up from his seat and bid them farewell. 

***

It was around six in the evening when Daud’s carriage stopped right in front of Martin’s house in the Estate District. His arrival was welcomed by a tall overseer who was posted at the front gate. Daud didn’t know what his name nor his face but they were familiar with each other since Daud was a regular guest in this house. He was the High Overseer’s closest ally so no one batted an eye when he showed up frequently or paid Martin a visit in the oddest hour.

“I haven’t been notified that you’re going to visit, Lord Spymaster,” the tall overseer greeted him.

Daud saw a footman emerged from the front door and headed towards their direction with two suitcases in each hands. Two footmen followed behind him while carrying a heavy looking wooden crate. They walked past him and the tall overseer and stopped once they reached a big coach with two big back horses that belonged to the High Overseer. Those footmen then proceeded to load the stuffs to the carriage.

“I take it the High Overseer hasn’t left for Whitecliff,” Daud guessed. He knew through his agent that Martin would go to Whitecliff for the memorial service today. Martin himself didn’t tell him anything about this.

“He’s scheduled to depart in one hour.”

“Thanks for the information,” Daud said to overseer and headed inside.

The High Overseer’s house was similar to the other houses in the Estate District. It was lavish, extravagant, and had more rooms than the numbers of the household staffs and the overseers combined. Martin didn’t own this house and all its expensive furniture. They were all given to him for free when he ascended to the highest rank The Abbey could offer. Every corner reeked of wealth Martin didn’t have, an illusion from a borrowed life. Sometimes Daud wondered how Martin could live in this house but knowing Martin, he probably thought he deserved it.

Daud went straight to Martin’s study in the second floor, the place they usually met when Daud paid him a visit. Unlike the office in Holger Square, this study was more private and spoke so much about the man himself. No pretentious flair found in this room; no big globe, no golden chandelier, no paintings. It was small and cramped with books. Martin had always been an avid reader even during his highwaymen day. He collected many history books, politics, and philosophy. Knowledge was the food for the mind. He read and devoured any knowledge he could find and used it for his own benefit.

“Daud, somehow I’m not surprised to see you here,” Martin called out from behind his desk. He was down to his white shirt and pants; his red coat, belts, and suspender were in the coatrack beside his desk. “Please sit down.” He beckoned then continued to read a document he was holding in his right hand.

There was no sitting area in this room so Daud sat on a chair beside Martin’s desk. “The overseer on the gate told me you’re going to Whitecliff today.”

“Brother Young told you that? Hmm, he’s a bit chatty, isn’t he? I hope he’s not spitting out my schedule to any random nobles he meets on the street.” Martin’s gaze didn’t stray away from the document he was reading. In fact he had a deep frown etched to his face.

“Reading something interesting?” Daud asked.

“List of what to do and what not to do during my visit in Whitecliff,” Martin replied. “Vice Overseer Campbell is afraid I don’t know what to expect because I haven’t attended the ceremony and he doesn’t want me to ‘embarrass us all’. I think he’s just messing with me. Listen to this, ‘The High Overseer doesn’t have dinner and spends the night before the ceremony praying and meditating to align his mind with the cosmos and he is not allowed to leave his room until sunrise’. Ridiculous.”

“Maybe he just hates you,” Daud commented.

“Everyone hates me, Daud. You’re the only exception.” Martin put down the document next to his leather gloves on the desk. “Now, what do you want from me?”

Daud shifted on his chair, trying to make himself more comfortable. “I still need to know more about your merry band of highwaymen.”

Martin gave him a disbelief look. “What’s there to tell? I haven’t met them in fifteen years. Time changes people, Daud, even a criminal gang.”

“There must be something you can tell me,” Daud insisted. “Tell me about Jack. How he fights, how he leads.”

“Again, I haven’t met him in fifteen years,” Martin repeated his words, annoyed. “Time changes people, Daud. You should have known it better than I do. He could have changed his fighting style, learned more dangerous techniques, be more sensible. He’s helping Free Morley. Jack that I knew wouldn’t do that, he tended to stay away from politic. He could either be more mature now or crazier.”

“You don’t discuss Jack with his sister?”

“Jack is hardly the right topic to discuss with Eileen,” Martin pointed out.

Damn, Martin was right. He had a feeling this would be a long shot but it was still worth trying. Martin would be gone soon and he had to at least try before he was out of his reach.

“Are you sure you just want to ask me about my ex and his gang?” Martin asked.

Daud raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“You’re allowed to say that you feel the burning desire to see me before I go to Whitecliff. No one’s stopping you,” Martin goaded him even further.

“What are you rambling about? I don’t-” Daud felt his words of denial died on his tongue when faced with Martin’s teasing smirk. He turned his head away when he felt his cheeks growing warm. 

Martin leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk. After that he rested his chin on his hands and gave Daud a smug smirk that was both annoying and seductive. “I know you have a soft heart beneath all those scars, Lord Spymaster. You don’t have to deny it.”

Daud clenched his jaw and crossed his arms. He didn’t say anything in case Martin used his words against him. A denial would only earn him a longer teasing from Martin and he knew fully well how Martin liked to do that.

“I’ll be fine, Daud. You don’t have to be worried about me,” Martin continued to tease him.

“I’m not worried about you,” Daud countered. He closed his eyes and sighed. There was a reason why Daud didn’t say anything to defend himself from Martin’s jabs because Martin was right, he did want to see him. “I won’t deny the fact that I want to see you before you go, I don’t know why. Call me sentimental, but the thought of you leaving Dunwall this time doesn’t sit right with me.”

The playfulness disappeared from Martin’s face. Gone was the smirk and replaced by a deep frown. “Why are you worried? I’m just going to Whitecliff and I have a whole entourage of overseers with me. Besides, Free Morley is here already, right? Nothing to worry about.”

“I know,” Daud agreed. His cheeks burned with shame as he shifted his gaze away from Martin once more.

“I should be the one who is worried and scared for your life. Free Morley is here, if you take the wrong steps they will kill the empress and you’re going straight to Coldridge. Void be damned, maybe you’re going to be executed.” The glare Daud sent to him didn’t deter Martin from saying, “What? I can’t be worried about my life partner’s wellbeing? The whole Dunwall will roast you if you let the Empress die.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Daud snarled, “I’m going to supervise tomorrow’s operation myself. Corvo will be there as well.”

“Oh?” Martin leaned back a little. “Is that so?” He narrowed his eyes and gave Daud a condescending stare that made Daud want to squirm.

“What do you ask that?”

“Because, Daud, you’re not exactly as fit as you used to be,” Martin pointed out. “When was the last time you’re engaged in a fight? Deskwork makes you weak – don’t give me that look, I know it.”

Daud opened his mouth to deliver his retort but he found none. He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms in defeat. What Martin said was true. He fought his battles from behind the desk. It was not his blade who killed people, it was his words, his orders. His hands had been clean for five years.

“Don’t fret, it’s just a simple operation,” Daud explained. “If thing goes according to our plan, we don’t need to end with bloodshed.”

Martin snorted. “Since when does thing go according to your plan?”

Daud glared at Martin.

“Whatever will happen, remember your promise, Daud,” Martin reminded him. 

How very nice of him to bring up the promise he made to himself years and years ago. As if he would sink so low to resort back to his old self.

“Don’t stray from the path you’ve made for yourself,” Martin continued.

“I won’t, Martin. You have my words.”

“Words means nothing to me. You should have known that.”

Neither men talked for a moment. Daud was busy contemplating on his plan for tomorrow’s operation, he didn’t realize Martin had left his seat and stood by his left side. Without any warning, Martin touched his right cheek. Daud flinched away from the touch but Martin’s hand kept him from moving too far away from his touch. It took time until Daud could will his heart to stop racing and accept the touch.

“I’ve grown fond of you, Daud,” Martin told him. His thumb touched Daud’s cheekbone and gave it a gentle caress. “Don’t get yourself killed.” His hand moved to trace Daud’s scar from his forehead to his chin, searing a path from the skin of skin contact. The touch sent a shudder to his body, one that he wasn’t comfortable to endure but not averse enough to reject. Martin’s touch was like a fire, it ignited something inside him, burning him from within. Daud wondered when the fire would finally consume him whole and turn him into ashes one day.

Daud grabbed Martin’s hand with his gloved one when he thought Martin had enough. “Get your ass back to Dunwall safely. I’ve grown fond of it.”

Words if a liars meant nothing and his kiss weighed no more than an empty promise. But when Martin leaned down to kiss his lips, Daud thought he could believe in Martin.

*** 

On Monday evening, Corvo came to his flat wearing a thick long overcoat that looked suspiciously like his Royal Protector coat except this one was charcoal instead of blue. He was wearing a plain civilian clothes underneath but the coat looked too expensive and too new to be worn by a normal middle class man Daud wanted him to pretend. 

“I need to hide my weapons,” was Corvo’s explanation. He push the hem of the overcoat aside, exposing a crossbow and a sword in each hip. He had small pouches strapped to his belts as well, presumably for ammunition and bombs.

“Can you wear less conspicuous coat?” Daud asked.

“This is my least conspicuous coat,” Corvo replied. Living in a palace really had its perk if that was the least flashy coat he owned. “Is that your ORS uniform?” he asked while eyeing Daud’s clothes curiously.

Daud only wore his ORS Special Ops uniform when he was out for an operation. For the purpose to attract less attention to them, Daud put his black coat, bandolier, and his weapons except the wristbow into a satchel. He put on an old tattered coat on top of his red shirt to make him look more like a blue collar worker.

“Your weapons,” Daud ordered. Corvo unbuckled his belt and gave him his weapons and ammunition to Daud for him to put them into his satchel. “Let’s go!”

They used Corvo’s carriage to go to New Mercantile and continued their journey on foot to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. It was around 9 in the evening when they arrived at the safe house, the darkness offered by the sky provided cover to those who wish not to be found. He recalled ordering Billie to have someone watching the coffee house from all angles.

“Daud, Lord Protector,” Billie greeted them once they entered the hotel room. She was wearing her complete uniform, ready to jump in action if needed to. “Daud has told me you’re here as an extra muscles. I appreciate your help but I’d rather to have you sit down and don’t interfere.” That was his best agent Billie, always so blunt and brash.

“Dully noted, Chief Lurk,” Corvo replied. “If you are good at what you’re doing, I’m sure I won’t need to interfere.” And that was his friend Corvo, the snarky annoying bastard.

Despite the hostile words, they both shared friendly smirks before Corvo wandered away to inspect the room. Daud knew Billie respected Corvo ever since he bested her on a friendly spar during Corvo’s visit to Kingsparrow several years ago. Corvo told him he respected Billie for putting up with Daud for far too long. He really wanted to punch Corvo sometimes.

“Coffee House has closed,” Billie informed. “The last patron left an hour ago. But we suspect there are at least five people who haven’t left the building. They could be the Free Morley supporters. Right now, we’re waiting for Morgan, a technician from RAD. He went to Mrs. Hughes’ place to plant the mic on her clothes. He should be here soon.”

After Billie finished with her report, Daud put his satchel on the bed while beckoning Corvo to follow him. They immediately grabbed their weapons and readied themselves for the unexpected. After that he casted his gaze around the hotel room, noticing how small it was. It was barely enough for its five occupants and the massive equipment that was ORS listening device. There was a blackboard beside the bed with a map and some pictured pinned on it. A technician from RAD named Salvai was sitting near a table right under the only window in the room. Besides her, the towering figure Tynan from the Special Ops took the rest of the room around the table. 

“I’ll check what your agents have gathered there.” Corvo jerked his head towards the blackboard. “If you need anything from me, just tap my shoulder.”

Corvo then went to the blackboard while Daud walked towards the window. He pushed the curtain aside to take a peek on the street below. Jacob’s Coffee House was on right side of the hotel and it was hard have a clear visual on the building from here. Their room was on the ground floor, meaning they could dash out from the hotel room should anything happen. 

“How’s the device going?” Daud turned to Salvai.

The small young woman’s face broke into big grin then she explained, “It’s going so well, sir! We have tested the device yesterday and we got a clear crisp voice! My friends and I in RAD have tweaked the mic sensitivity but we have to sacrifice the range of its transmittal. But don’t worry about it! Jacob’s Coffee House is still within its range so we’re good to go!”

Daud casted a glance at a big recording machine and audio processing machine on the table. Right next to it, an antenna pole stood tall on the floor. It was used to receive the signal sent from a microphone that was attached to Eileen’s clothes. Blue luminescent stains scattered on the floor near the desk, possibly from the whale oil tank that fueled the whole device. 

“How about you, Tynan? Do you have something to report to me?” Daud asked the big man.

“Nothing, sir,” he replied, his deep voice was thick with Morleyan accent. Instructors in ORS had tried to make him lose his accent to no avail. “But I’m happy to be here and eager to kick some Morleyans’ assess.

Not long after that, Billie came to his side to join them. “Misha is on the rooftop over there with sniper rifle. She’ll have the front view. She also said she has a clear view on the meeting room. It’s on the upper floor.” She pointed to the building right across the coffee house. “Montgomery is covering the back entrance with a sniper rifle.” After that she jerked her head to the back alley. “They will report to us when they see something interesting.”

“They have the microphones as well?” Daud asked.

Billie nodded. “Yes. They ping in every thirty minutes to make sure they’re still there.”

The listening device was a cutting edge machine invented by his Chief RAD Zachary. Daud wouldn’t deny the fact that this device was a great addition to their equipment, but he wanted to be able to have two way communication with his agents with this device. It would make coordinating their movements easier. He had asked Zachary to make it but he made a laughing dart instead. Daud didn’t understand how a genius mind worked.

“Any words from Javier?” Daud asked her.

“No, I haven’t heard anything from him,” Billie replied. “Permission to search him after this?”

“Permission granted.” After Javier arrived from Artenton, he was sent to scour the woods around New Mercantile and went silent ever since. In their line of work, prolonged silence only meant bad things. “Find your men, Billie. I have a bad feeling about this.”

They continued to wait in silence afterwards. Not wanting to disturb Salvai and Tynan with their job, Daud stepped away from the window and joined Corvo by the blackboards. There were photos of Jacob Daley, the owner of Jacob’s Coffee House, Jeremy Malone, and also Eileen Hughes. Besides them, there were sketches of Free Morley agents that were drawn based on Kieron’s description. Daud and his men had memorized the sketches to help them to identify the Free Morley agent that would show up at the meeting today.

“You got a great artist.” Corvo waved his hands towards the sketches. “How accurate are these?”

“The sketches is as accurate as the one who describes it to the painter,” Daud explained. They had painters in Intel who did this kind of job. While their sketches were great, it was Kieron’s memory that played the biggest part in creating these sketches. Once Daud and Burrows were sure Kieron’s mental health had been in a better shape, he was tasked to give facial description on every Free Morley agents aboard on _Ler_.

“I hope whoever provided the description is accurate then,” Corvo added.

“Yeah, me too,” Daud agreed. Kieron was still undergoing a therapy to heal the mental scar in his soul. Daud could only hope it wouldn’t have a long lasting effect on him.

Ten minutes later, Morgan arrived at the safe house and informed them that Eileen was ready and would leave her place soon. Silence swept the room afterwards, only the soft whirring sounds from the listening device that could be heard. After spending too many times standing, Daud decided to sit down on a bed. Corvo joined him not long after that.

“I always thought spying like this is for the Intel department,” Corvo commented idly, “isn’t she from Special Ops like you were?”

“No comment,” Daud answered. The reason why Daud gave this operation to Billie was simply because he fucked up his job with Malone. Daud ignored his cry and rage when Daud took this operation from his grasp and handed it to Billie.

“You won’t tell me anything, will you?” Corvo asked again. Daud turned to Corvo and gave him an unamused look. He went back to read the information on the board. “It’s a bit boring, isn’t it?” 

Daud snorted. “Welcome to my life.”

“Now I see why you age faster than me.”

Daud glared at Corvo. The bastard only raised an eyebrow at him.

“I got visual on Malone and Hughes,” came the cracked static voice of Misha.

They all flocked around the table in an instant, eager to hear more details.

“ _Malone is walking with Hughes_ ,” Misha continued, “ _he has his arm around her shoulder. He’s whispering something to her ears. They’re getting closer to coffee house now._ ”

Another voice came from the speaker. An unfamiliar male voice that could only belong to Malone. “ _-shy, Eileen! I know you’re still not sure but this meeting will cast any doubt that lingers in your heart, I promise!_ ”

“ _I hope so,_ ” came Eileen’s reply.

Malone kept rambling about the meeting and Eileen gave idle comment to him. Malone didn’t say anything useful but at least they knew the microphone on Eileen was working perfectly.

“ _They have entered the building_ ,” Misha informed.

Eileen’s microphone picked up conversation from the coffee house. After that it went silent again, no sound audible saved from the rustling of Eileen’s clothes that concealed the microphone from view. A minute passed in silence. Tension grew rapidly, stealing the air in the room. All eyes fixed on the speaker, waiting.

“ _I’ve seen Malone and Hughes. They have entered the meeting room,_ ” Misha announced. “ _Someone approached them. I couldn’t see their face._ ”

At the same time they could hear a deep male voice came to greet Malone and Eileen, “ _Jeremy! So good to see you!_ ” 

“ _Jacob! Everything ready for the meeting?_ ” Malone asked.

“ _We’re ready. We just need to wait for the lads from Free Morley,_ ” Jacob replied. “ _Is this Eileen Hughes? The one you’re talking about?”_

“ _Yes, she is,_ ” Malone said, “ _this is Ginger Jack’s sister_.”

There was commotion over the revelation. People came to Eileen to welcome her. Daud picked more than two voices there; three male voice and two female voices. They introduced themselves to her, telling her their names. Morgan jotted down the names they got to a piece of paper then passed it around the room. Daud didn’t recognize any names listed in that paper.

“ _When the lads are going to be here?_ ” Malone asked after the introduction was done.

Jacob didn’t sound so sure when he replied, “ _They should be here an-_ ”

“ _I have visual on five men entering the back alley!_ ” Montgomery’s voice blasted from the speaker, drowning the rest of Jacob’s reply. “It’s five… no… Six men. I can’t see their faces yet… Could be no one, could be Free Morley… Hang on…”

Daud crossed his arms grasped his coat sleeves tightly. Billie was brimming with nervous energy beside him and Corvo was eerily silent.

“ _That’s Rod from Free Morley_ ,” Montgomery continued, “ _the other five men… Oh nope… Three women and two big muscled men… I believe that’s Laura… I forgot the other names but they’re Free Morley alright.”_

Daud rolled his eyes at Montgomery’s report. He always lacked the skill to do proper report. Reading his report was a pain in his ass.

“ _Holy shit!_ ” Montgomery cursed. “ _They’re carrying weapons! They have blades and guns at the ready. I repeat! Six armed people entering the building from the back entrance!_ ”

Things went south sooner than Daud anticipated.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** torture scene. One more warning at the end note

In a perfect world, every carefully planned operation would go smoothly, but the reality was far from perfect and flaw was always be there waiting to ruin everything. Daud had been a spy for twenty four years, he had his share of plan gone wrong. There were things he couldn’t control nor predict. Such was the nature of human being and all the fickleness that followed.

“They’re armed, Daud.” Billie turned to him.

“It could mean nothing,” Daud reminded her. “They’re a band of thugs, of course they carry weapons with them.”

“But it doesn’t mean they’ll go everywhere brandishing their weapons around,” she argued.

Billie was right on that matter. They might be criminals but from what Daud had gathered, Rod was smart. He wouldn’t allowed his gang to attract any attention towards them and brandishing their weapons was the exact opposite of that.

They could hear the sound of the door swing open and hit the wall rather loudly. Before Daud and his agents didn’t have time to determine what the most likely source of that unsettling sound, a high pitched wail cut through the cramped hotel room and it was immediately followed by a series of fearful screams. There were a lot of scuffles, men yelling at each other. They could hear Eileen’s labored breath and sobs beneath all the chaos.

“ _Six people enter the room. Armed with swords,_ ” Misha announced.

“ _What’s the meaning of this?!_ ” came the angry voice of Jacob. “ _Roderick, you said that you’ll be delighted to see the rest of us! Isn’t that why we’re arrange this meeting for you?_ ”

“ _Let me go!_ ” Malone yelled.

“ _Don’t get me wrong, Jacob._ ” The voice that replied sounded like a young male. Without any visual clue, Daud couldn’t guess how old he was. Was that Rod? “ _I do want to meet our supporters but I’m afraid to inform you that you have a mole here._ ”

The tension in the safe house spiked in an instant, stealing the air from everyone in the room. Daud clenched his jaw and balled his fist tightly, he could feel the blunt of his nail digging through his leather gloves. Shit! How could he knew about them?

“Daud, we should move,” Billie urged him.

Daud waved his hand to dismiss her. He could feel Corvo’s gaze on his back, questioning his order. He ignored his friend too.

“ _So,_ ” Rod continued, “ _we arrived at Dunwall four days ago and headed straight to the place you told us to go. Do you know what we found there? The empress’ fucking spy!_ ”

Both Billie and Tynan cursed something under their breath. “They got Javier,” Billie whispered to Daud.

“ _Those people with their black coat and their red shirt. I know they are the Empress’ spies. I’ve seen them before, skulking the street in Alba. Cowards,_ ” he spat. “Took us four days to sweep the entire woods to kill them all. I wonder how they got there? It seems like they were ready to ambush us.”

Daud’s heart was beating faster like it wanted to crush his ribcages. Cold sweat drenched his face and his hands were clammy beneath his leather gloves.

“ _Tell me, Jeremy. Are you responsible for that? Are you working for the Empire?_ ” Rod asked.

“ _No! I don’t know what you’re talking about?_ ” Malone shrieked, his voice wavering with palpable fear. 

“ _Liar!_ ”

Cries and whimpers erupted without warning. People yelled at each other until Rod opened his mouth and demanded everyone to stay quite. Eileen’s whimper became more noticeable and louder than before. Something bad just happened in that meeting room but nobody here knew what.

“ _I can’t see it clearly but I think someone just killed Malone by slicing his throat,_ ” Misha informed them.

“Daud,” Billie hissed at his ears, “we got to move.”

“No, we stay,” he hissed back. There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to find Corvo frowning at him. “We need to know more,” he told him. He didn’t miss the disapproving glare Corvo sent at him before he turned back to the speaker.

“ _Unless you want another corpse, you gotta talk,_ ” Rod told them. There was a tensed pause, they could only hear a faint sound of footsteps. “ _As I’ve said before, there were spies looking for us. And when there’s smoke, there’s fire. I want to know who started the fire.”_

Eileen’s breath hitched and she continued to sob quietly. Daud could feel both Corvo and Billie were glaring at him.

“ _Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you,_ ” Rod continued, “ _tell me you’re not working for the empress._ ”

Chaos erupted once again as everyone started screaming and desperately pledging their allegiance to Rod and Free Morley. One man was downright sobbing as he tried to convince Rod not to kill him. It was very unsettling to just listen to them asking for their life and did nothing at all. But amidst all chaos, Daud hear Eileen’s voice at all. She remained mute, Eileen hadn’t said anything to Rod.

“ _Hughes! Malone took Hughes with him! Maybe she’s a spy!_ ” one of the supporter ranted.

Shit.

“Move now! Go! Go!” Daud ordered.

Tynan immediately opened the window and then he and Billie dashed out in a blur of black and red. Daud and Corvo followed suit, they jumped out from the window and ran as fast as they could to the Coffee House. They were in time to watch Billie kick the door open like it was nothing. After that the four of them ran inside the building and made their way to the upper floor. As they climbed up the stairs as quietly as possible, Daud heard voices coming from the furthest room from the stairs. The closer they got, the louder the sound became. He could hear screaming and Eileen’s desperate cry. Billie and Tynan got into their position besides the door, waiting for Daud and Corvo to get into theirs position in front of the door. They all unsheathed their blades, loaded their wristbow with sleep darts. Corvo did the same with his crossbow. 

“Keep everyone alive,” Daud told them, “no casualty.” He looked at three of them, checking them. Tynan nodded his head while grabbing his blade hilt tighter. Billie gave him a smirk. Corvo had a solemn when he nodded at him.

Daud signaled them to go.

Corvo kicked the door open hard enough to nearly busted it from its hinges. Daud looked around the room, marking his targets. There were two big men standing on the right and left side of the door. Daud went straight to jam his sleep dart to the man on the left side while Corvo chocked the man on the right side. Billie and Tynan made their way inside with their blades at the ready and their wristbows raised high. With a flick of their wrists, two darts flied from their wristbows and made home in the neck of two women standing behind a flock of scared looking people. Four people were down, they still had two more to take out.

The last woman of Rod’s gang saw them. “What the fu-”

Daud shot her with a sleep dart right at her neck. She fell back to the floor with a dull thud.

Rod was having his back towards Daud and his men during the whole ordeal. He finally turned around to face them after the last member of his gang lied unconscious on the floor. Before he could do anything, Tynan jumped to him and apprehended him. Rod didn’t even have a time to fight back.

“Get off me, you scum!” Rod shouted at Tynan.

Tynan pressed his blade to his neck and bared his teeth menacingly. “How about you shut up, scum!” he said with his thick Morleyan accent.

Daud scanned the room, inspecting the casualties. Five people were unconscious, one was dead; Malone with an open slash wound on his neck. The Free Morley supporters were huddled in the corner with Corvo brandishing his blade at them. Eileen was standing at the farthest wall from then door, hugging herself to give a little comfort she badly need. Daud noticed she was shaking as he drew closer to her.

“Are you hurt?” Daud inspected her for any visible wound. He found none but he wasn’t sure.

Eileen nodded her head. “I’m… ok.”

“He didn’t do anything to you?” Daud jerked his thumb to Rod.

“No-” she clutched her arms tighter, “not yet.” It seemed the injury Rod had inflicted to Eileen was on her mental rather than on her body. Her face had gone pale from shock. Daud didn’t know what happened after they left the hotel room. It couldn’t be good.

“Tynan,” he called out, “punch that bastard for Hughes.”

Daud heard a satisfying sound of Tynan punching Rod. Rod cursed at Tynan and Tynan punched him once more to shut him up.

“Sit down and wait here.” Daud ushered Eileen to the nearest chair. Once she was seated, Daud knelt down so he was eye to eye level with her. “After we’re done here, one of my men will escort you back home. I promise no harm will fall unto you. Alright?”

Eileen nodded her head and said nothing. Up close, Daud could see the cold sweat drenching her face, her eyes glistened with fear, and there was dried tears on her cheeks. She was in shock, she should receive treatment soon. But what could he do? His hands brought violence not calm. He was the last person one would go to when they needed a comfort. 

Daud saw Corvo entering his peripheral vision. He walked to Eileen then slowly put his coat on her. She turned to him, eyes wide with confusion. Corvo rested his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her in hushed calming tone. Eileen didn’t say anything back to Corvo but she didn’t freak out when Corvo unbuttoned her shirt to loosen up her clothes; a standard procedure for someone who was in shock.

“I got this,” Corvo said to Daud, “go do your job.” Daud gave him a nod and left Corvo to his task.

Daud turned to Tynan and beckoned him to drag Rod closer to the Free Morley supporters. Billie had replaced Corvo’s position to guard them – she was doing a better job at being menacing and intimidating than Corvo to be honest. Tynan brought Rod before Daud then forced him to kneel while pressing his blade closer to his neck when he started to protest.

“I suppose you know who we are,” Daud began.

“Empress’ scum! That’s who you are!” Rod bellowed, eyes darting between Daud and Billie wildly like a trapped feral animal. “And you!” He tried to turn to Tynan but the blade on his neck prevented him to do such thing. “You’re a Morleyan! Have you no shame at all? You’re giving your service to the one who enslaved your people!”

Tynan groaned loudly. He then turned to Daud. “Permission to punch this bastard, sir? Please?” 

“Go ahead.”

Rod was about to say something but his words were robbed from him when Tynan punched his nose. It wasn’t hard enough to break it but it was enough to make Rod wail. Tynan had a satisfied grin when he put his blade back to Rod’s neck.

“What are we going to do now, Daud?” Billie asked.

Daud turned to the Free Morley supporters who were held under Billie’s blade, staring them one by one. He huffed out when they purposely averted their gaze from him, too scared to meet his eyes. He turned to Eileen and watched Corvo tried his best to calm the woman just by being there. He turned back to Rod, glaring at him as the man tried to break free from Tynan’s hold. It was a futile attempt because Tynan was arguably the biggest and strongest agent in his time. He could carry two full grown man like they weighed nothing at all.

“Fuck you all!” Rod shouted at him. “Fuck you and your fucking empre-”

Daud knocked Rod out with the hilt of his blade. He had enough of this whole shit. “Let’s just take a rest for a while,” Daud suggested.

***

The next two hours passed in a flash. One moment he was rushing to the nearest City Watch station to and was engaged in tensed debate with the officer in charge to arrange a carriage to transport his prisoners the City Watch Headquarter holding cell. The next moment, he found himself barking orders to the City Watch lower guards when they were too slow to escort their transport. The moment spent on the carriage to their destination was spent with him nursing a headache. After that, he still had to endure another tensed debate with the officers in the City Watch headquarter until Curnow arrived to settle the debate and ordered his men to obey Daud’s order without any further question. Curnow finally escorted him to his office and went to get him a cup of black coffee.

“The City Watch really hates you,” Corvo commented.

Daud gave a stink eye to his friend. He was grateful Corvo decided to stick with him through the whole debacle with the City Watch. His somber presence was like an ominous shadow that lurked behind his back; silent and intimidating. If he wasn’t there, the officers would throw more scuffles rather than giving him passive aggressive response.

“They don’t have any problem with me, it’s the ORS they hate the most.” Daud threw himself to the nearest couch and sighed. “No one really like it when someone comes to them and tell them to do shits for them. I won’t say that we outrank them, but they’re obliged to help us when we ask for an assistance.”

“I’m glad I don’t need to interact with any other governmental body.” Corvo sat down near him. “What are you going to do now?”

“Sleep hopefully.” Daud reached for his pocket watch and took a quick peek on it. It was close to one in the morning, great.

“Just go to sleep now,” Corvo said, “your second is doing a good job handling the prisoners transport for you. I think she’ll prepare the interrogation room for Rod as well. There’s no reason for you to stay awake right now.”

The last time Daud met Billie was thirty minutes ago when Curnow arrived to slap some senses back to his men. Billie immediately took his responsibility when Curnow and Corvo ushered him out to the Curnow’s office. She was a dependable woman aside from her brashness and insolence. Maybe Daud could catch a quick nap knowing Billie wouldn’t disappoint him. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a moment…

Daud’s eyes snapped opened when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His own hand immediately grabbed that hand and smacked it away from him. He was a bit confused when he saw Corvo scowling at him.

“Wake up,” Corvo said. “Curnow’s lackey is here to escort us to the interrogation room.” He jerked his thumb to a lower guard who was waiting by the door.

Daud pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a bit groggy and his head was slightly heavy from an interrupted sleep. He reached out to look at his pocket watch. He just fell asleep for ten minutes; not enough to chase the exhaustion away but enough to give him a headache.

“Let’s go.” Daud got up and walked towards the guard.

The lower guard escorted them through the long corridors of the City Watch Headquarter and led them to the dungeon. The pungent smell of the musty and damp subterranean floor hit his nostril. The guard ushered them to the room at the furthest side of the staircase where Curnow was waiting for them with two officers. Daud walked past a cell with the Free Morley’s supporter in it, awaiting the magistrates to process them. He took a mild satisfaction when he saw the appalled look on their faces. The cells here were far from being accommodate and clean.

“Chief Lurk and your agent are inside,” Curnow told them, “I’m handing this interrogation to your lot since he’s your prisoner.”

There was a muffled scream and a pained yell that was followed by series of curses and dull thud of someone punching someone.

“She’s started the interrogation without you,” Corvo quipped. 

“She’s prone to violence,” Daud said. He turned his head to Corvo. “You’re coming with me?”

“I’m up for something violence,” Corvo replied.

“Well, I’m not,” Curnow announced. “It’s too late – well, too early to see you beating someone for answers. But I’ll still be here waiting for you, making sure nothing bad happen. So please, don’t kill that man in my interrogation room, ok?”

“I won’t promise you anything.” 

“And one more thing.” Curnow turned to the officer on his right side and jerked his head towards Daud. The officer then gave Daud a map of New Mercantile and the woods around the district. She also handed him a pen. “This is the thing you asked me to find before you took a nap. Best of luck, don’t kill him.”

The interrogation room was a small dark room with a single lamp hanging from the center of the ceiling to illuminate the whole space, its size was a deliberate design to induce claustrophobia to the prisoner. There was nothing much there; a table with an audiograph player at the corner and a chair where Rod was currently sitting on with straps of metal bindings on his wrists and ankles. Daud could see fresh blood tricking from his nostril. Both Billie and Tynan were circling him, like a pair of hungry hounds. They were both gave Daud nods when they saw him and Corvo sauntering inside.

“We’re roughing him up a bit for you,” Billie explained.

“I can see that.” Daud inspected the injury done to Rod. Aside from the broken nose, he didn’t see any superficial wound. “The audiograph loaded with card?”

Tynan jumped to answer, “Yes, sir. I’ve taken care of it.”

Daud beckoned him to look over the audiograph player then took a special dart with orange liquid inside the small container from his bandolier. He loaded it to his wristbrow before he aimed it to Rod’s neck. He could feel Corvo’s eyes on him, questioning his method but not quite disagreeing either.

“What are you going to do?” Corvo asked.

“You’ll see.” Daud shifted his gaze to Tynan and gave him a nod. 

Tynan pressed the record button and he began, “The date is Tuesday, the 25th day of Month of Wind. City Watch Headquarter interrogation room. Present in this room; Royal Spymaster Daud, Royal Protector Corvo Attano, ORS Chief of Special Operation Billie Lurk, ORS Special Operation agent Tynan Gorman, and-” he paused, realizing that he didn’t know the name of their prisoner, “What’s your full name?”

“Fuck you!” Rod yelled.

“And Fuck You from Free Morley,” Tynan finished.

Daud sighed. “It’s Rod from Free Morley and I’m taking over from here.” He flicked his wrist and watched the dart went to Rod’s neck with a soft clicking sound.

“What the fuck did you just do to me?” Rod yelled again.

“Injecting ORS laughing concoction to the subject,” Daud spoke for the recording, “it will cause the subject to laugh for an hour top. He’ll either die from cardiac arrest, asphyxiation, or a collapsed lung.”

His words were met with shocked gasp from everyone present in the room. Tynan was looking like he wanted to laugh but he wasn’t sure. Billie’s jaw dropped open and gave him a stink eye. Daud couldn’t see Corvo’s reaction since he had his back towards him, but he could feel the weight of his gaze on him.

“What the fucking fuck do you mean?” There was a note of hysteria latched in Rod’s words. The concoction had taken effect.

“Daud, what is it?” Billie asked. “I haven’t heard about this laughing concoction.”

“New toy for RAD.” This was a stronger version of the one Daud used on Karl. If the previous version could make a big man like Tynan to go into laughing fit for a five minute, this one could last for an hour – or at least that was what Zachary claimed. All his subjects were died in under forty minutes. This concoction sounded silly but it actually had a devastating effect. He decided that this might be helpful for interrogating someone with so adamant.

“You’re going to die from laughing,” Daud explained, “unless you answer our questions.”

Rod chuckled. “What?” He had a big smile but his eyes were confused.

Daud pull out a small dart with transparent liquid from his bandolier. “This is the antidote. I’ll give it to you if you cooperate.”

Rod giggled. “That’s-” He tried to control his giggle. “Absurd!” He broke into boisterous laughter. Daud let him to laugh for a couple of minutes and saw the fear finally sank into him.

“Your full name and what’s your position in Free Morley,” Daud said while waving the antidote.

“Fuck you!” he screamed between laughter.

“Where your people are hiding?” Daud pressed further.

“Die, you empire scum!”

They went like that for three minutes; Daud asking questions that Rod cursing him while laughing. No one dared to open their mouth during the whole exchange, too confused to do anything and too disturbed by the laughing Rod. After five minutes, Rod started to wheeze between laughter and his face was contorted in pain. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists.

“Please make this stop,” Rod said, his voice hoarse from the excessive laughter. “Please, it hurt!”

“Tell us your name!” Daud asked again.

“Please!” He sounded desperate and in pain.

“Your name!”

“Roderick Connell!” he screamed out of desperation and visible agony.

“Are you one of the Free Morley’s general?”

“I am!” His giggle sounded hysteric. “I’m one of the first students who started this movement. Now I lead one group of the resistance and take them with me to Dunwall.”

“Who is your leader?”

“I don’t know. I-” A rather violent laughter forced him to stop talking for almost a minute. “I haven’t seen her face. I only met her once before I left Wynnedown. She spoke behind a screen. I only got to hear her voice.” 

The elusive leader of Free Morley was a woman? Daud didn’t see it coming.

“Is that why you know your leader is a she?”

“Yes,” Rod answered, “we call her the Head. She’s never made any public appearance and she only talks to Donoghue – Luke Donoghue, the manager of King’s Theatre.”

Daud stopped asking question when Rod couldn’t control his laughter. He was starting to get worried by how shallow Rod’s breathing sounded.

“What are you planning to do in Dunwall?” Daud asked once the laughing fit was under control. “What’s your goal?”

“We’re going to go to the Dunwall Tower and take the Empress’ daughter. There’s a sewer path under the city… We still have the map from the Tower infiltration.”

“Why do you want to take Lady Emily?”

“We want-” It was getting harder for him to speak through the laughter. “Take her, bargaining chip. We… Argh! Force the… Empress to keep her troops away from Morley.”

“For what?” Daud slammed his hands on the armrest of Rod’s chair. “Tell me!”

“We’re going to kill the royal family during Grand Feast!” Rod screamed. “Keane… knows more about that! He’s the… one… lead… group…”

Keane Byrne was one of the casualties in the King’s Theatre raid. If what Rod was saying was true, they had caused a great damage to the Free Morley’s plan to assassinate the king by taking the leader.

“The gang that come with you,” Daud inquired he was sure Rod could speak once more, “where are they hiding?”

“A cave!” A wheeze. “North of New Mercantile. In the woods!” His breathing became more and more erratic. “Please, give me the antidote! It hurts!” He laughed again.

“Not yet.” Daud took the map Curnow gave him earlier and waved it right in front of Rod’s face. “I’ll unlock your right wrist. You will tell me where it is and where your men were stationed and you will not attack me.”

“Yes!” Rod nodded his head immediately, eager to be free from the pain. “Anything!”

The next minute was spent with Rod telling everything about his basecamp; the patrol route, what kind of weapons they got and where they stashed it. Rod also told him that the rest of the gang would leave the cave if he didn’t come back until the sun rise. It was a safety measure in case he got captured. He didn’t know where they would go, but they wouldn’t stay at the cave any longer.

“And that’s…” Rod wheezed. “Gimmeantidote…”  
Rod was beginning to lose his ability to speak coherently towards the end, the laughing fit becoming out of control. The time to end the interrogation was close or else he’d die. “How many men are there in your basecamp right now?” Daud asked his final question.

“Ten,” Rod answered.

“Wait a minute? Just nine?” Billie interrupted. “Didn’t Kieron said they have thirty four or five or something?”

Now that Billie mentioned it, Kierron did say Free Morley had thirty two men at disposal. There was six people here, plus sixteen in the basecamp so there were only sixteen people in total? “Where are the other fifteen people?” Daud inquired.

“Not… here,” Rod rasped, the laughter wasn’t as loud as it was as he struggled to breath. Daud was no physician so he couldn’t discern what happened to Rod. “The… Black Eyes… have… agenda.” He really needed the antidote. “They’re… Whitecliff…”

Daud’s mind went into an alert when he heard the word ‘Whitecliff’. “Why they’re at Whitecliff?”

“Old…” He wheezed, lips turning blue. “Business…”

Daud’s gut sank as horror seeped into his spine and shook him from within. “Where? Where are they?” he demanded. “Where?”

“A… fort…” The laughter had died.

“What fort?” he screamed at his face.

“I…”

“What fort?”

Someone tapped his shoulder then he heard Corvo’s voice in his ears, “Daud, stop it! He needs the antidote!”

Daud ignored his friend and grabbed Rod’s collar. He shouted at Rod again, “Where are they hiding?!”

Rod let out a long sigh and stopped breathing.

“Shit, is he dead?” Billie asked.

Daud pushed Rod’s limp body back to the chair and walked away. His body was shaking, his heart was beating madly behind his ribcages. Fear gripped the deepest core within him, bringing tremor to his whole body. He was barely aware of the commotion around him as his mind focused on one thing.

“Daud!” Someone grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. At first he just saw a blurry image of a familiar face. It took a while until his mind finally able to focus on Corvo’s face. “C’mon focus! That man is dead.”

Daud didn’t say anything. He just stared at Corvo’s eyes, terrified and chilled to his bones.

“Daud?” Corvo noticed something was wrong with him. “Is there something wrong?’’

There were many types of fear; fear of pain, fear of death, fear of uncertainty, and many more. Fear was no stranger to Daud. A life of a spy was a life full of adrenaline induced thrill and the lingering fear that haunted him in the back of his mind. There was a small part in his mind that always afraid that he made a wrong move and inadvertently doomed the Empire and all her citizens. He was frightened - if only just a little – when he got caught when he infiltrated a gang territory in Saggunto and almost got tortured for information. He feared for his life when he was trapped in Maraigh Prison, slowly losing his mind as the day went by. Daud thought he wouldn’t experience greater fear than that fear of death, but no, he was wrong. 

“Daud?” Corvo tried to coax him once more.

Daud’s voice wavered when he finally said, “They’re after Martin.”

Corvo’s eyes widened for a brief moment before he was back to his usual frown. “What do you mean they’re after Martin?” 

“The Black Eyes…” Daud clenched his jaw as he tried to find a good way to explain the direness of this situation without revealing Martin’s secret. “He has unfinished business with their leader. From what I’ve gathered, she doesn’t like loose end.”

Corvo blinked his eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Or they could just…” Daud brought his hand to the back of his neck and just squeezed. He closed his eyes as he tried to ease the tension there. “Martin is the High Overseer. Maybe they want to use him. Martin is on his way to Whitecliff for a ceremonial service. He left on Friday evening.”

“Daud! Corvo! What you’re two doing over there? We got a dead body over here.” Billie called out for them.

Her voice snapped Daud’s attention back to reality. He casted his eyes around the room and tried to refocus himself to the current problem at hand. Both Billie and Tynan were standing right beside Rod’s body, waiting for his order. They had the same confused look on their faces and the same judgmental eyes that wondered what the fuck was wrong with Daud.

“Come with me now,” Daud ordered them and walked away.

Curnow was waiting right outside the door, arms crossed and brows furrowed in confusion. He didn’t look like he was pleased with whatever might just transpired inside the interrogation room. “I heard laughter. What happened?”

“He’s dead,” Daud told him then quickly added before Curnow could say something, “It doesn’t matter now. We know where Free Morley is hiding but they will move if Rod doesn’t show up in four hours. We have to move now.”

“They’re going to move?” Curnow asked, more confused than before. “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t have times to explain.” Daud turned to Billie. “You know where the cave is. I want you to go to that cave with Curnow’s men. You two have to work together on this.”

“What? I’m the one who’s going to work with them?” Billie asked. She didn’t even bother to mask her disgust.

“Daud, what are you trying to say?” Curnow pressed further.

“I’m-” Daud opened mouth but no words come out. His throat clenched as dread whipped him once more, blocking his air way. He balled his fist to hide the tremor that started to destroy his calm composure.

“We’re going to Whitecliff,” Corvo cut in. Daud turned to his friend, gasping silently under his breath. He didn’t expect Corvo to jump in and save him like this but he appreciated it. “They split up in Whitecliff and we suspect they’re after the High Overseer himself.”

“But it’s impossible!” Curnow countered. “Whitecliff Watch has searched them for days and they couldn’t find them.”

“Rod mentioned a fort?” Corvo guessed. “Is there any fort near Whitecliff?”

Curnow scratched his chin, the line on his forehead deepened as he did so. “There’s a fort – more like a ruin actually, it’s west from the Calais Channel that separate Whitecliff from Gristol. One day journey on horseback from Calais port. If I’m not mistake, it’s not far from the Olaskir Road. You can see it from the road.”

“A perfect ambush spot,” Corvo commented.

“But the Whitecliff Watch has searched that place and they found nothing. It’s literally the first place they search.”

“They could hide somewhere else then came back to the fort after the watch were gone,” Corvo guessed. “High Overseer Martin left Dunwall on Friday. His entourage has probably reached that fort.” He turned to Daud. “Do you think if we leave now we can reach the fort on time?”

“Wait, ‘we’?” Daud asked back.

“I’m going with you,” he said which a fierceness that left no space for any argument. “I won’t let any harm fall on the High Overseer.”

“Well, if that’s the case,” Curnow chimed in, “leave this Free Morley to me and Chief Lurk. We can handle this.”

“Please, they won’t have a chance against us,” Billie said. She shifted her gaze to Daud. “Go to Whitecliff, old man. Save your friend.”

Daud stared at Curnow and Billie, still unsure of what to say to them. Curnow had a knowing sympathy on his face when their eyes met and Billie seemed like she understood what was truly happening here. She was a smart woman, of course she knew about him and Martin.

The fear had left him. Its cold fingers disappeared as hot fiery rage burned him from within. “Let’s go and save Martin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Additional Warning:** on screen minor character death
> 
> It turns out you can die from laughing


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** torture scene and also some deaths, and it's getting pretty violent

It was close to three when Daud and Corvo arrived at Kingsparrow. With Martin’s life hanging on the balance, they didn’t have a lot of time to do proper preparation. It was still too early to expect the Top Hounds’ assistance. Without Billie, Daud didn’t know which agents were available to accompany him to Whitecliff. Without Rulfio, he needed to go to the dock himself to prepare for their boat. Without Burrows, he had to deal with Intel Division and sent message Wynnedown base. Even without Thomas, he had to make his own coffee and it tasted like mud on his tongue. He had gotten used to have people to help him, it became a pain in his ass now when he had no one to help him. In the end, it took him two hours to get a small cruiser boat for their journey to Whitecliff, loaded it with ammunition and foods, and they were ready to go. 

The sun was starting to make its way up to the sky when Daud stepped into the boat. And as night came into an end, Daud felt the last remnant of energy left his body, causing him to stumble down on the nearest cot in the small cabin. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep despite the rumble of the boat engine trying to pierce his eardrums. He had about two days or maybe more voyage waiting until he just wished he could spend those two days sleeping and not to be bothered again.

“Ready to go?” Corvo asked from the cabin door.

Or maybe not.

Daud forced himself to get up into sitting position then tried to ease the tension on his neck. He just had a very long day. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

After a short deliberation, they decided to go alone and only took one agent named Foster to operate the cruise. Small group had bigger chance to sneak into enemy’s territory completely unnoticed, enabling them to cause more damage from the inside. What were nineteen people against the best swordsman of Dunwall? Daud had witnessed Corvo taking down five City Watch guards at once during a spar, one of them was even twice his size and could overwhelm him easily should he used his brain more rather than his strength. Daud had some experiences fighting with big group of people too. 

“You’ve told Jessamine about this impromptu trip?” Daud asked.

“When you’re too busy acquiring this boat,” Corvo answered, “technically.”

Daud frowned. “You haven’t told her, have you?”

“It’s still too early and she’s still asleep so I left a message saying that I’m helping you to chase the last remnant of Free Morley. She’ll understand.”

“No, she won’t,” Daud countered. Damn, she would hate Daud even more for stealing Corvo away from her. But she wouldn’t let you go if you told her beforehand. He could endure her wrath.

“Do you have anything else you want to ask before I go back to the deck then?”

Corvo was a hard man to read by nature, he was stoic on a daily basis and he tended to frown a lot when he interacted with people. It wasn’t the case with Daud though. He had known Corvo for almost three decades, making him more like an open book to his trained eyes. It wasn’t hard to notice the stiffness on his shoulders beneath that thick coat of his or the small yawn he held when he waited for Daud to talk. Corvo was just three years younger than him, he wasn’t a young man anymore. He was tired, maybe not as exhausted as Daud but he was still tired nonetheless.

“Hey, Corvo,” Daud called out before his friend left him, “thanks. You don’t have to do this.”

“What other choice do you think I have?” Corvo asked back. “I won’t let you die alone in some ruined fort.”

Daud scoffed loudly. “Fuck you, Corvo.”

“Besides,” Corvo continued, “you’ll do the same if it were Jessamine.”

“Jessamine is the empress, idiot. It’s my duty to save her as her Royal Spymaster.”

“Don’t be a dick. You know what I meant.”

People said blood was thicker than water but it wasn’t blood that bound him and Corvo together. Blood could be a burden to those who didn’t want it. Daud had seen sibling fought each other to a bitter end and parents perished in the hand of their children. What bound him and Corvo was trust, the seal that bring them together. Corvo would follow him wherever he go and he would the same for Corvo. 

“Wake me up when it’s my turn to take the helm.” Daud laid back on the cot and closed his eyes.

He heard Corvo’s laugh before he fell asleep.

***

They spent precisely two days on the cruiser before they needed to take the skiff to get passed the infamous Rocky Cove; one of the most difficult waters in Gristolan seas due to its many rocks and the high cliffs that outlined the narrow cove and split it into two different shores. With Daud on the helm and Corvo giving him direction, they were able to slip between the rocks with minimal damage. There were few bumps that dented the hull and some scratches that took away the black paint on the skiff, but aside from that they were alright. Once they arrived at the shore, they dragged the skiff to the least obvious spot and continued their journey on foot.

The next obstacle they had to tackle was the dense forest that awaited them right after the shore line ended. Strolling through a forest was a relaxing activity but forcing their way through a dense virgin woods was something different altogether. It was still early in the morning when they entered the forest. The ground was wet and slippery from the morning dew and the sunlight was blocked by the heavy shades formed by the trees. Everywhere looked exactly the same; just trees after trees, sometimes thick bushes, and unexpected roots hidden beneath leafs; one wrong step could lead to a sprained ankle. The only thing they could do was to follow the vague cart trail left by some smugglers in their attempt to flee from the local authority. Smugglers were the master at finding the most convenient way in the hardest terrain in the world – a talent Daud truly appreciated and needed in his line of world. The Smuggler’s Path didn’t mean it was an easy path but it minimized the chance of them to get lost or die horribly from whatever trap awaited them there.

The sun was already high up in the sky when they finally made their way out from the forest and stepped into the Olaskir Road that divided the forest into two. From there, Daud could see the top of the fort’s roof lurking ominously from the other side of the forest. He squinted hard, wishing he could see whether there was someone in that tower looking down at the Olaskir Road; a patrol or something. He would do that if it were him. Nevertheless, it wasn’t wise to stay in the open like this. They needed to keep moving.

“Daud.”

Daud turned to Corvo who was crouching in the side of the road. He was holding something shiny, something Daud couldn’t quite see from a distance. He rushed to his friend, the shape of the object in Corvo’s hand starting to look more familiar with every step he made. His heart sank when he finally recognized what it was; an overseer mask.

Corvo looked up to meet Daud’s eyes. “They’ve been here.”

Daud knelt beside Corvo and yanked the mask from Corvo’s fingers. It was indeed an overseer mask, but it wasn’t the High Overseer’s mask which made from pure gold. He put the mask and studied the soil around him, looking for tracks. He couldn’t find anything at first but he finally say a bit of carriage’s wheel going to a smaller road near them. The road continued to head north, undoubtedly led to the fort. 

It wasn’t hard to picture what happened there. The High Overseer entourage had reached this point. They were ambushed by the Black Eyes in this spot; captured and probably killed. The sudden attack surprised the horses and they started skittering away. After the ambush, the Black Eyes dragged the carriage to the fort to hide their crime from any other passerby. It wasn’t clear when the mask fell from the overseer’s face but it was hardly important. The most important thing was the Black Eye was there in the fort with the remnants of the High Overseer entourage and they got Martin.

They got Martin.

It felt like the world turned red in his vision. Anger surged from inside him, drowning any last semblance of calm that he tried to maintain for the last two days. There was an itch beneath his skin, a long lost call he couldn’t abide. Daud was born a killer and lived his life as a killer. He would bath the fort in blood if it meant if it meant Martin was saved.

He jerked violently when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His hand reached to the hilt of his blade and pointed it at Corvo.

“Daud, calm down!” Corvo hissed. “You can’t lose your temper now!”

Daud sheathed his blade back and turned away from Corvo. He was right, he couldn’t get carried away in time like this. He shouldn’t let himself lost in the bloodlust that threatened to consume him. He had sworn to fend off killing for good. He wouldn’t bring anymore chaos with his hands.

“We need to stay away from the road,” Daud said.

They both continued their way through the forest. Once they reached the end of the forest, they hid behind large trees and pulled their own telescope to inspect the fort in front of them. No one really knew the story of this fort, only the fact that it was there even before the War of Four Crowns. The fort had a stone wall around five or six meters from the ground surrounding the central stone building that had lost a big portion of its roof. There were two entrance to the fort; one from the main gate and the other one was from the big chunk of hole on its western side. Both entrances were guarded by patrolling thugs. Daud spotted three people there. He could only assume the other nine were inside the building.

“What should we do now?” Corvo asked him. “It’s your operation, you decide.”

It was too bright to sneak into the fort unnoticed. Besides, they didn’t know what lied behind those walls. Storming into unknown territory without any plan was a suicide. He had no intention to die soon, not before he saw Martin’s face and screamed at his face about how stupid he was to let himself get caught by his former enemy.

Corvo tapped Daud’s shoulder until he turned to him. After that he jerked his thumb to his left side. It didn’t take long for Daud to see a thug carrying a pistol walking down the road towards the fort direction. He was still too far for the thugs in the fort to notice him. If they wanted to do something, they had to do it now.

Daud signaled to Corvo to stay and be kept an eye the fort then dashed through the woods, trying to be quite as he did so. He watched him intently, trying to discern the best possible way to dispose him. He could shoot him with a sleep dart but it was always better to preserve ammo. Upon closer look, he found out that the thug was a merely lanky kid, maybe a bit shorter than him. He could use brute force to knock him out or he could do something else entirely.

His hand reached for his blade and slowly pull it out. Once the thug walked passed him, he came out from his hiding spot and pressed his blade to the thug’s neck while his other arm was circling his chest. He felt the thug’s body stiffened under his hostile administration. 

“Follow me or I’ll slit your throat,” Daud hissed to his ear. He pressed the blade deeper to his skin to make the threat clearer.

The thug didn’t fight him when Daud dragged him deeper into the woods. When he was sure they were far enough even from Corvo, Daud made the thug sit with his back against a tree while he tied his hands at the other side of the tree with a rope. Once he was sure the thug was secured, he crouched right in front of the thug, blades pointing at his face. The thug’s weapons were out of his reach.

“I can make it easy and quick for you or I can make it so painful, you’ll beg me to kill you,” Daud began. He saw fear sank in the thug’s eyes, a soft whimper escaped his lips. “Do you have the High Overseer?”

The thug didn’t say anything.

“Do you have the High Overseer?” Daud repeated his question louder.

The thug remained adamant.

Daud stabbed his blade to the thug’s thigh and pressed his left palm to the thug’s mouth. His scream he was muffled behind Daud’s black leather glove. The thug’s legs jerked and tried to kick him but it was merely a futile effort because Daud just step on his ankle really hard to stop the trashing.

“Will you answer my question now?” Daud asked. When the thug didn’t answer, he twisted the blade. Daud waited until the thug’s body stop shuddering from the pain. “Will you answer my question now?” This time the thug nodded his head so Daud released his hand. “Do you have the High Overseer?”

The voice that answered him was young, far too young for Daud’s liking, “Yes.”

“Is he still alive?” Daud twisted the knife a bit when the thug took too long to answer. “Is he alive?”

“Yes!”

Small relief washed over him. At least Martin was still alive. “Where is he?”

“In the…” The thug grunted in pain. “The top floor.”

“How many guards are there?”

“Just… Ginger Jack and Mad Shaun.”

Martin’s ex was here. Somehow this news wasn’t really that surprising. “Who’s Mad Shaun?”

“Our-” He groaned. “Black Eyes’ lieutenant.”

“How many men inside?” Daud changed the subject.

“Just twelve,” he replied, “thirteen with me.”

It meant they lost two men during the fight with the overseers. “Are there any surviving overseers?”

The thug shook his head. “We killed them all and dragged their bodies and their carriage to the fort.”

“How’s the patrol route?”

“Four on the courtyard, the rest inside the building,” the thug said, “I… I’m supposed to guard the courtyard but… I was taking a leek.”

“What weapons do you have inside?”

“Just… blades, pistols…” His eyes widened in panic when moved the blade as if he wanted to twist it. “We still have some grenades left! But not much! We used it during our fight with the overseer!”

He had every information he needed to know to sneak into the fort but he still had one more question. “Why do you want the High Overseer? Why do you want Martin?”

“I… I don’t know…” He sounded unsure.

“Why?!” Daud raised his voice and tone.

“I don’t know!”

“Try harder!” Daud pulled the blade from the thug’s thigh and stabbed the other thigh. He silenced the thug with his hand just in time before his scream could be carried out all over the forest. “Why?”

“Let me think this argh!” His body trashed under Daud’s weight and he pushed the blade deeper into his wound. “Mad Shaun doesn’t tell me much about it, I swear! All I know is we need to get the High Overseer because he owes Big Ma something. Mad Shaun also told us that we need the High Overseer for our cause? That… that we will make him cooperate?”

They wanted to use Martin’s connection to the Abbey to support them? “How? How will you force him to work with you?”

“I don’t know!” The thug replied. “It’s Mad Shaun and Ginger Jack’s job not mine!”

“What if he doesn’t want to cooperate?” Daud asked. “What will they do?”

“They’ll kill him I suppo–” Daud’s blade chop his head off from his neck before he could finish his words.

Daud watched the head fell to the ground with a dull thump then rolled away from its body. Crimson blurred his vision as blood sputtering in all direction from the decapitated neck, making the air heavy with the thick coppery smell that filled his nostril. The thug’s words just flicked a switch deep inside Daud, awakening his primal killer instinct which he had been trying to suppress for the past six years. The thought of someone laying their hands on Martin set rage boiling in the depth of his gut, making his heart pump faster and faster. Adrenaline rushed through his vein as his vision went red. He wanted to tear every piece of shit that dared to harm Martin, chop them down and drown them in their own blood.

He could hear someone laughing at him at the back of his mind, probably from the deepest level of the Void itself…

He shook his head and shook away the sudden bloodthirsty from him. He shouldn’t lose his control like this. He had a promise to keep and it wasn’t to Martin but to himself.

When Daud came back to Corvo after he dealt with the thug, his friend gave him a stink eye. Daud was finally aware of the fresh blood dripping on his cheeks and clothes. He ignored Corvo’s gaze and began to wipe the blood on his face with his gloved hand.

“You took your time,” Corvo told him. “Did you find something useful?”

“Martin’s inside that building, top floor.” He pointed at the building. “Twelve people left. Three at the courtyard, nine inside. Mad Shaun from Black Eyes and Ginger Jack are with Martin on the top floor.”

“Twelve excluding the man you just killed?” Corvo guessed.

Daud glared at him. “It’s just twelve.” He shifted his attention back to the fort. “Our main objective is to free Martin at any cost.”

“We can kill those people if we need to?”

Judging the fact he just killed a man in cold blood, he supposed it wasn’t fair to keep Corvo from the fun. “Just keep Shaun and Jack alive. The others are not important.”

With the sun high in the sky and there was no other way to enter the fort, they opted to force their way through the wall breach. From where they were crouching, they could see two thug were standing by each entrance point while one thug was making a beeline from the gate to the wall breach back and forth. Daud signaled for Corvo to stay and get ready with his crossbow while he sneaked his way through until he was near the wall breach. He took a peek at the inside of the fort from the wall breach while keeping himself out from the thug’s view. He waited until he could see the other thug was walking away from the breach. He retrieved a small mirror from his bandolier and used it to send a signal to a signal to Corvo. After that he unsheathed his blade and waited.

No sound could be heard when a bolt flied from Corvo’s hiding spot and made a home inside the thug’s skull, the thug didn’t even had a time to scream or yell in pain. And as one thug fell dead to the ground, Daud dashed inside and ran toward the third thug. He quickly jammed his blade to the side of his neck and sliced his throat open, severing all major arteries. The thug fell to the ground twitching and trashing as he desperately hang into his life by clutching his neck. Any attempt to talk was drowned by the blood sputtering from the wound that eventually chocked him to his death. Daud looked towards the gate and saw the thug fell backwards and hit the ground with a bolt buried deep into his skull.

Even though the other thugs were supposed to be inside, it didn’t mean they could leave the bodies out in the open to be found like that. Daud hauled the thug’s body he just killed over his shoulder then took him out from the courtyard. He dumped him just outside the wall and dragged the other dead thug with him. After that he ventured inside once more and met with Corvo who had been waiting for him by the gate. His friend had dragged the body away from under the gateway to more secured place.

Corvo scowled when he saw the blood on Daud’s face and clothes. “Let’s go,” he said.

They carefully made their way into the building. They were greeted by narrow corridor that led to a stone staircase and a room in the opposite side of the door. No thugs in sight, so they carefully sneaked to the stairs and tried not to make any noises with Daud on the lead. Daud signaled for Corvo to stop when he heard footsteps coming from the second floor. They waited until the footsteps passed them then Daud climbed up slowly, making as little sound as he could afford. He saw the thug was walking away from the staircase with his back against them so he beckoned for Corvo to quickly climb the stairs with him before the thug had a chance to spot them.

The third floor was empty and so was the fourth floor. There was a bored looking guard standing in front of a door on the top floor. The guard was out of his wristbow distance so Daud signaled to Corvo to take him down with his crossbow. He stepped aside to make room for his friend to aim. They were both squeezed into the narrow staircase. Corvo only needed one shot and the guard was dead with a bolt buried deep in his skull.

As they approached the only door on that floor, the sound of people conversing from the other side of the door became more audible and clearer. He could hear two unfamiliar male voices conversing with each other but he couldn’t hear Martin. The door had no keyhole or peephole to let them take a peek into the room. The door didn’t budge when Daud tried to push it. It seemed something was blocking it from the other side.

“C’mon Martin! We can finally stop this if you just agree, you know?” a deep voice with thick Morleyan accent said from behind the door.

“Well, I don’t know Jack,” Martin said. His voice was barely audible. “Maybe if you don’t throw a punch like a weak little girl I won’t last thing long.”

There were some noises followed by a pained groan from Martin. Daud’s body stiffened when he realized Martin was being tortured. Corvo just gave him a sympathetic look as he came to the same conclusion.

“We’re running out of time,” a new voice joined the discussion; a male with a subtle morleyan accent. “Whitecliff ceremonial service is today and he’s supposed to be back at Whitecliff to preach about his support on Free Morley.”

“He’s always been a stubborn bastard,” Jack said. He heard someone spit. He could imagine Jack was spitting on Martin. “What’s the plan now, Shaun?”

“Big Ma wants to send a message,” the man called Shaun replied, “right now, people in Whitecliff should have noticed the High Overseer is missing. That’s why we must kill him and send his dead body back to Whitecliff during the service.”

Daud couldn’t hold the rage that boiled inside him. With his whole body shaking with anger, he was about to slam his shoulder to the door but Corvo prevented him to do so. There was a silent plea in his dark eyes when he stared up at Daud, begging him to calm down and not to do something harsh. Daud clenched his jaw and glared at Corvo.

“Can I at least have some fun with him before we kill him? Big Ma isn’t the only who has unresolved issue with him.” There was a clear delight in Jack’s voice. It made Daud’s gut twisted in disgust.

“The ceremony is in the afternoon, I guess? So I think we still have plenty of time if you want to have fun.”

“Great! You’re welcomed to stay if you want to watch.”

And that was it; the final drive to push Daud’s button. He ignored Corvo’s glare and slammed his shoulder to door; once, twice, three times. The door refused to budge and was remained adamant so he changed tactic. He took a sticky grenade from his bandolier and stuck it to the door. 

“Outsider’s eyes, Daud! Have you lost your mind?” Corvo hissed in his ears.

Daud didn’t say anything and merely dragged Corvo away from the door. He could hear voices from behind the door, panicking. They yelled when the grenade went off and blasted the door open in a loud bang. Daud quickly grabbed his blade and rushed inside the room with Corvo begrudgingly following from behind.

What greeted Daud inside broke his heart. There in the center of the room was Martin, hands tied up behind a chair and his face swollen, dried blood trailing from his nostril. He was stripped from his waist up, baring his flesh to his torturer. Daud could see burn marks like a cigarette burn littering his shoulders and down to his arms. Bruises colored his chest in the shade of yellow and blue. When Martin looked up to meet Daud’s gaze, his eyes were filled with shock and relief.

“What the fuck?” A man who stood at Martin’s right side turned to face Daud. Judging from his voice and flaming red hair, this must be Jack.

“We’re under attack!” the other man yelled; Shaun.

A smile was making its way to Martin’s swollen face. It made him look manic like he was in the verge of losing his mind. “Kill them,” he rasped.

Daud shot a dart to Shaun’s hand before he could grab his gun. After that Daud rushed to Jack and swung his blade to the red haired man. Jack was in time to block Daud’s attack with his own blade. Daud swung his blade again and Jack blocked it once more, sending them into a tight lock. Daud used his power to overwhelm Jack and glared at him. He pushed and kept pushing, forcing his opponent to back down. He noted with great delight how Jack’s grip started to flatter and panic filled his green eyes. Daud landed a kick right to his chest, causing him staggering backwards. Before he could retaliate, Daud cut his right hand. And while Jack was screaming for his lost hand, Daud brought his blade high and chop Jack’s head off in one clean cut.

Daud’s vision turned red as he watched Jack’s severed head rolling on the floor. His pulse beat faster, adrenaline rushed in his veins. He felt a long forgotten glee growing inside him and wondered why he denied himself this killing rush for so long. He felt high; he felt strong. He was the relentless force that would move the world.

The voice of sword clashing got him and he turned around to see Corvo and Shaun were engaging in furious duel. From the look of it, it was clear Corvo had the upper hand but it didn’t deter Daud from stabbing Shaun’s heart from his back, kicked his knees to force him to kneel down, and then cut his head. Blood sputtered from the severed neck, bathing Daud in crimson from waist up. Corvo scowled at Daud’s messy handiwork.

“You said we’ll keep them alive,” Corvo protested.

Daud didn’t say anything. With the rush of adrenaline still lingered in his vein and his vision was still tainted with red, he didn’t trust himself to sound remotely sane to Corvo.

“Daud!” he hissed his name.

Daud walked towards Martin and cut the ropes that bound him to chair. He caught him on time before he fell and knocked his head hard at the floor. He wasn’t the type of man who was comfortable with physical touch but right now there was nothing he wanted to do except for pulling Martin into his embrace. He buried his face to Martin’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He smelled of unwashed sweat and burned cigarette but he was alive. Daud could feel his pulse on his neck; one heartbeat, two heartbeat, three heartbeat. He let Martin’s pulse lulled him out from his killing spree, grounding him to reality. When he opened his eyes, his world was no longer crimson.

“I know you’re happy to see me,” Martin whispered to him, “we have to move now.”

“I agree with Martin,” Corvo voiced his thought, “we made a lot of noises.”

Daud shifted his gaze to the door way then to the window. Using the staircase would surely lead to a battle with the remaining six thugs. They were too high to make a jump to the ground from the window. Although he supposed they could survive the jump if he used his-

No.

“Cover me,” Daud told Corvo then tried to haul Martin over his shoulder. He ignored Martin’s weak protest and circled his arms around his waist. He just needed one strong push to lift him up and-

There were footsteps from the corridor. They were heading towards them.

Daud saw Corvo grabbed something from his pouch and threw it to the corridor. A moment later there was a loud bang and some yelling. Daud used the brief moment of panic to drag Martin to the corner of the room; a relatively safe place compared to the center of the room where he was tied to the chair. He could hear blades clashing. There was no doubt Corvo had already engaged with them.

“Stay alive a bit longer alright?” Daud murmured to Martin.

Martin managed a weak smirk and said, “That’s my line.”

Daud turned back to the battle and found Corvo fighting three men in a time while the other tree went to his direction. He felt the familiar build up inside him and dashed towards them. He swung his swords to the first thug he could reach and dodge the attack from the second thug. He shot a dart to the third thug’s hand, forcing him to drop his blade. Before he could attack the third thug, someone slammed his body to him, causing them both to fall to the floor. The impact made him dizzy but he was still quick enough to roll away when the second thug started shooting bullets to his direction.

Daud casted a quick glance at Corvo and found him in a similar position. Being the best swordsman in the whole isles didn’t really help when fighting multiple opponents at once in a close quarter. They didn’t have the element of surprise here nor did they have a cover to hide. They were out in the open. They only thing they could do was defending themselves and hoping they could somehow land an attack. 

One of the thug fired his gun and Daud immediately stumbled to the floor. His left thigh throbbed from the open wound created by a bullet that punctured his thigh. He was pretty sure the bullet didn’t break his bone but it still hurt like the damnable Void. He could still fight and-

Someone slammed him once again and pinned him to the floor. He lost his grip on the blade and it went scattering away and out of his reach. Daud looked up to his assailant, glaring at the smirk he sent to him. The thug raised his blade high up, ready to stab him. He clenched his left fist tightly. Should he break his promise now or accept his fate? Should he consort to the monster he tried to forget or just die?

A gun went off then the thug on top of him fell backward with blood trickling from the bullet wound on his forehead. Daud pushed him away and rolled over to see who made that shot. He wasn’t surprised when he saw Corvo pointing a smoking gun towards him. They both shared a quick smile before-

Before a thug slammed him to the wall and bashed his head to the wall a couple of times.

“Corvo!” Daud yelled in panic.

He got up and limped as fast as he could to Corvo. His heart sank when he saw the thug reached for his gun and aimed it at Corvo’s head…

“Corvo!”

In his panic, Daud reached out with his left hand and clenched it. He felt the long forgotten sensation of foreign power cursing through his vein. The chill of the Void seeped into the material world as he called upon its power. Color started to fade to black and white.

The Outsider’s mark flared brightly beneath his leather glove and the time froze.

It was a strange sensation although a familiar one. The world was bathed in black and white, all sounds were muted, and everything stopped. He saw the thug’s hand frozen in midair as he pulled the trigger to shoot Corvo. He saw Corvo sliding halfway down to the floor with his eyes closed and blood trickling down from his forehead. The other thugs were glued to their spots, weapons raised high as they chased Daud. This was the dark power of the Outsider, the power Daud had refused to use for years; bend time.

He didn’t have much time to waste when he bend the time so he quickly slit the thug’s throat and threw him away from Corvo. After that he put Corvo down on the floor and leaned him back to the wall. Corvo seemed to be unconscious. The wound on his forehead was bleeding from how hard that thug knock his head to the wall. But at least he was alive. Daud could save Corvo and Martin.

Bend time effect finally wore off and time flowed once more. Daud heard the other thugs screamed something to each other; confused why Daud was suddenly there and why their friend was dead. Daud ignored them all and grabbed his blade. Red tinted his vision as he transversed right in the middle of those scums in a flicker of ashes. Fear and panic clouded their eyes when Daud stabbed the gut of one of them right before their eyes. 

Three dead, three more to go.

***

When he was a kid, other children used to call him ‘the Outsider’s bastard’ due to his ugly face and the rumor of his mother being a witch. He beat them until everyone was too afraid to call him such thing while deep down, he wondered if the Outsider was really his father. His mother laughed at him when he asked that question, claiming that she wasn’t interesting enough to gain the Outsider’s attention.

“Maybe if you keep being stupid and careless, the Outsider will show up to you,” his mother said with a smirk as she ruffled his hair.

No one knew his mother’s words would become a reality years later. He still remembered dying in Maraigh Prison in Morley when he was twenty five years old. What he perceived as a drug induced dream turned out to be real and the person standing in front of him was indeed The Outsider himself; the deity of the Void that told cryptic message and called him special and gave him his mark. He woke with a searing brand on his left hand and he broke himself out from the prison by massacring those who got in his way.

For years and years to come, Daud became dependent on the mark as he craved his path to the world, earning himself the title of ORS most dangerous hunter. With the Outsider constantly telling him how special he was in his dream, he believed he alone could change the course of the world and shaped the future from the shadow until one day he woke up from the dream and finally saw the monster he became. So, six years ago, Daud made a promise to himself to never use the Outsider’s mark again to clean his hand from the blood he had spilled. 

After so many years of absence, he finally used the mark for the first time to save his friend.

***

It had been a week after Whitecliff; a week after they unfolded the Free Morley’s conspiracy and saved Emily and Martin from their clutch. Billie and the City Watch had no problem to capture the remaining Free Morley agents who holed up in the cave. They also found out their initial plan to use the home of one of their supporters in New Mercantile to keep Emily until they had words from Wynnedown. They didn’t need to dig deeper to find more incriminating evidence to grant them a direct path to the execution block.

Emily had arrived at Karnaca safely and would remained there for at least a month before she sailed back to Dunwall. Duke Theodanis’ longing to have a daughter drove him to pamper Emily while Karl was doing his job to keep Emily away from the duke’s asshole son Luka. It was Emily’s decision to stay a month in Karnaca, claiming that she wanted to know the city Corvo and Daud grew up. Jessamine looked so pleased when Daud told her about this and she kept thanking him until Daud’s ears burn and he told her to stop.

Although it was regrettable that the High Overseer couldn’t attend the Whitecliff ceremonial service, the Abbey expressed their joy when Daud showed up with a beat up Martin in Dunwall after he freed him from Free Morley with ORS boat. He had been treated by the Royal Physician himself in Dunwall health facility for people with wealth and status because of course Martin would prepare to go there. He had been denied a visit for a week until finally the ban was lifted and he was allowed to see visitors.

“If you think you’re the first person who come to visit me then you’re wrong. Vice Overseer Campbell beat you,” Martin told him when he stepped inside his room.

Without the bulk of his High Overseer apparel, he looked smaller than he usually was. The thin white patient gown only made him look thinner and fragile. But despite all that, Martin looked much better than the last time he saw him. His face was no longer swollen and color had gone back to his skin.

“Let me guess, you wait for a week until people can see you because you don’t want them to see you with a swollen face,” Daud said. He noticed that there was chair beside Martin’s bed. He dragged it closer to the bed and settled down.

“You know me so well,” Martin said, “I still have an image to maintain, you know.”

“Vain,” Daud commented with a smirk. “I don’t know why I went to so much trouble to save your ass.”

“I remember you said something about how fond you are of my ass?” Martin teased him.

Daud barked a laugh. “You are a terrible person.” 

“You know me, Daud. We are both terrible people who commit terrible deeds in our past. No matter how hard we try to run from our sin, they will always come back to haunt us.” When Martin’s eyes met his, there was sorrow in them. “You broke your promise.”

Just like Daud held the key to Martin’s biggest secret, Martin also knew about his mark. It was what brought them together in the first place when they met again in Dunwall. It must be quite a show to the Outsider; an overseer and a heretic working together and fucking each other. Martin was there when Daud promised not to use his mark anymore. He was there to support him when the black eyed bastard left him for good.

“If I didn’t use it, Corvo would die,” Daud told him.

“If you didn’t use it, we all would die in that fort,” Martin corrected him.

“So why you’re bringing this up?” Daud raised his tone. He tried not to be angry but he couldn’t help it.

“I’m not sure either,” Martin confessed, “I just thought that maybe – maybe this is something you need to talk with someone who knows. You and I both know how liberating it is to share our secret with those who won’t betray us.”

A carefully hidden secret could be a burden that could crush someone to death. Secret haunted you, waking you up in the night with cold sweat and making you paranoid. It could kill those with faint heart or drove them into insanity.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Daud said.

Martin was silence for a while, his eyes sad and disappointed. “I won’t pretend that I understand the reason behind your great fallout with the Outsider-”

“It’s not a fallout,” Daud corrected him.

“But he left you,” Martin continued. “He abandoned you like a child that had grown bored of his toy.”

What Martin said bore a semblance of truth. It was shameful how he accepted the Outsider’s words and yearned to be someone special. As a kid who grew up in nothing, he dreamed of being someone significant; someone who wasn’t a nobody. He bathed his path in so much blood, he could sail a whaling ship. He became more of a monster than a man – a bloodthirsty wolf that hunted his prey and wouldn’t stop until he buried his fang in the neck of his prey. 

He was tired of being a puppet whose purpose was to entertain that black eyed bastard.

“Has he visited you yet?” Martin asked.

Daud shook his head. “I’m expecting him to visit me the night I used my mark. But no, I haven’t seen his sorry ass in six years.”

Comfortable silence draped over them like a lover’s embrace that neither of them dared to break. Besides, what else to say? This was hardly the topic they could broach casually in a hospital wing. They would need privacy - and maybe one or two bottles of beer for Martin.

“I guess I need to go back to the Lighthouse now,” Daud told him.

“Really?” Martin raised an eyebrow. “Why the hurry, Lord Spymaster? Is there any emergency that requires your attention?”

“We haven’t done with Free Morley, you know,” Daud told him.

Two days after Grand Feast Day, Kingsparrow received a message from Wynnedown. Nothing bad happened during the feast, everything went normal and according to plan. No hostile activity spotted. It seemed like the raid on King’s Theatre had done so much damage on Free Morley’s force. Without the general to lead them and a mass to carry their work, they had no power to create havoc during the feast. Just when Daud thought things couldn’t get better, four days after that, they received a message that said they had Luke Donoghue. The man volunteered himself to spill everything he knew for protection. Now they knew who Free Morley’s elusive leader really was and they were on her trail.

“Do you want to know who Free Morley’s leader is?” Daud asked Martin.

Martin scowled. “I have a feeling I won’t like the answer.”

“Lady Fiona Dunne of the King’s Honorable Parliament,” Daud replied, “you knew her as Big Ma of Black Eyes.”

Martin’s face changed from shock to a manic grin in a brief moment. He let out the most hysterical laughter Daud had ever heard. There were tears in his eyes when he stopped laughing and his smile lingered when he said, “Time to send that bitch to Maraigh, huh?”

“I’m so glad you found that amusing,” Daud said and got up from his seat. “Get well soon, asshole.”

“Oh, one more thing before you go,” he called out, “when the Outsider visits you, do what I did; laugh in his face.”

Daud snorted. “Not everyone is as mad as you, Martin.”

***

It was already late at night when Daud went home. The street in Riverside District was already barren when he made his way to his apartment building. The only thing he wanted right now was to lie down on his bed and catch a good nigh rest.

He really wasn’t expecting to see Corvo standing in front of his door.

“Corvo?” Daud asked, still too stunned to form any coherent words.

“I need to talk to you.”

They hadn’t had the chance to talk in private since Daud dropped him and Martin to the hospital. Corvo needed to stay at the hospital for the head trauma he suffered from his scuffle with Free Morley. Daud didn’t have any time to visit him there due to the amount of work waiting for him at Kingsparrow. When he finally had time to spare, Corvo had been discharged and was back at Dunwall Tower.

“Sure,” Daud said. “Come in.”

Daud led him inside and beckoned for him to sit on the couch. “I don’t have anything for you to drink so… water’s good for you?”

“I don’t need a drink,” Corvo said. He kept standing still, refusing to sit down. There was a scar on his forehead; a souvenir from their trip to Whitecliff. “Daud, remove you glove.”

Daud froze on his spot.

“Please, Daud. I need to see your left hand.”

“Why do you need to see my left hand?”

“That day, when you saved me from Free Morley,” Corvo began, “I saw something strange. You disappeared then reappeared and there was ashes or something. I’m not sure what I saw, it could be just my imagination.”

“Why do you need to see my left hand?” Daud repeated his question.

“Because I thought I saw something glowing from the back of your left hand,” Corvo replied, “I thought I saw…” Corvo closed his eyes. “Please, Daud. I need to see your left hand.”

Daud could deny it all if he wanted, spew some lies and blamed it on Corvo’s concussion. But what was the point of doing that? Corvo had already known; he already had suspicion and he wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied with the answer. They were the same after all; they both couldn’t abide mystery no matter how painful the truth actually was.

And with wary heart, Daud removed his black gloves. Unlike his story about him having a hideous burn wound, the skin of his hand was pale and soft from the lack of direct sunlight and touch. And there, on the center of his back hand, was black circular lines that was seared to his skin by a mysterious supernatural mean; the mark of the Outsider.

“It’s true,” Corvo whispered, “you’re… a heretic.”

“I haven’t used my power for six years if you must know,” Daud corrected him, ignoring the small pang of pain that just pierced his heart just by hearing Corvo’s words, “well until a week ago.”

“Since when?” he asked again.

“Fifteen years.”

“That long?” Corvo’s voice cracked with shock and surprised. Daud swore he could hear sorrow and trepidation as well. “Does Martin know?”

“Martin knows.”

“You told Martin and not me?” Now he sounded hurt and pissed.

“And what would you do if you know? Hand me to the overseer or have me killed?” Daud asked back. “This is hardly your area of expertise, Corvo. That’s why I decide to confide with Martin because he’s an overseer and he knows how to deal with me if anything goes awry.”

“That’s…” Corvo clenched his jaw then turned his head away from Daud. “Does he talk to you? The Outsider?”

“He hasn’t talked to me in six years,” Daud replied.

Neither of them said anything. Silence hung between them, heavy and sullen. It choked them both, robbed them of any words they wanted to say to each other. What did he want to say to Corvo anyway? Beg for his understanding? Tell him to keep it a secret? He had no right to ask that. He was already aware of the rift that started to grow by this revelation.

“I need to go now,” Corvo announced. He turned around and headed to the door.

“Corvo,” Daud called out before Corvo left, “just remember this; I’ve always tried to do right to you. This mark might make me less than the man you thought you knew, but I’ve always been true to you. You are my friend and I’d like to keep you as one.”

It took a moment too long for Corvo to say, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

When Corvo finally left his home, Daud threw himself to his couch and closed his eyes. Alone with his own thought, Daud couldn’t deny the feeling of something stabbed him right through his chest. He had never seen Corvo acting so dejected like that before. Decades of friendship broken in one night. Was it too early to mourn the loss of one of the few things that truly mattered to him or was he being foolish to hope for another chance to make amend with Corvo? He knew Corvo wasn’t a fanatical believer of the Seven Stricture, but he saw the fear in his eyes when he saw the Outsider’s mark on Daud’s hand. It was human nature to fear something beyond their understanding. Would he be scared of him for the rest of his life?

Daud felt the temperature of his room changed so drastically and everything went too quiet for his own liking. When he opened his eyes, he found himself no longer in his living room but rather in a piece of his floating rock that had some furniture from his living room. He looked up at the blue sky that was tainted with purple in the far horizon. There were some purple lanterns floating nearby, mocking him in their silence. 

Even after six years, the Void remained the same.

“I won’t try to find you if that’s what you want me to do,” Daud said to the empty air, “I’m too tired for your shit right now.” He leaned back to his chair and refused to move. If the black eyed bastard wanted to talk to him, then he had to be the one who sought him.

Not long after that the Outsider materialized in front of him with a swirl of black tendrils and smoke. He still looked like the young man he knew six years ago. His eyes were still as black as the night sky, his skin unnaturally pale. There was a faint smile on his face when he glided closer to Daud’s chair. That bastard was mocking him.

“Daud, my old friend,” he said, “it’s been six years since we parted our way and vowed to stay away from each other’s path. But I know you’d use my mark once again sooner or later. I just never expected it to be like this.”

Once upon a time, Daud yearned to hear the Outsider’s words. He searched for his shrine throughout the isles and bent his knees like a faithful worshipper. Right now, he just really wanted to go home. “I have no time for your cryptic message, you bastard! Just get into your point!”

“You had a chance to use the mark to save yourself but you chose to face death rather than to sully your hand and submit to my power once more. But when your dear friend Corvo was on the verge of dying, you did not hesitate and use my power without any doubt. Tell me, Daud, is your friend’s life more important than yours? Or do you long for something else?”

“I’m not suicidal if that’s what you’re implying,” he denied.

“Nevertheless, I admire your loyalty to those you care. I always find it interesting.”

“Cut the crap already!” Daud yelled. “Don’t say I’m interesting or anything like that again! You’re the one who found me boring six years ago and abandoned me like a broken toy!” He got up and walked to the Outsider. He glared right at that bastard’s black eyes and shouted, “You turned me into a monster!”

“You were born a killer, Daud. Or have you forgotten?”

“And your gift is supposed to help with that?” Daud asked, dumbfounded. 

“It’s been six years and yet you still failed to see the truth. Remember what I told you that day? I give my mark sparingly. You had a potency to become something special, Daud, but you chose to be what you are right now. You’re the one who decided to carve your path in corpses and blood. The Wolf of Dunwall, your precious Spymaster called you. The angry wolf that haunted the crown’s enemies. I saw you butchered a camp of terrorist alone, sneaking into a highly secured facility in Arran alone, stealing a document from important persons all by yourself. But like other wolves who grow up in the wilderness, they could be tamed when they meet a formidable trainer. And thus the predator becomes a pet.”

His nostril flare with anger. Fury boiled inside him as he raised his finger and pointed it at the Outsider. “Stop it right there!”

“And may I remind you that it wasn’t me who made you like that. You did it all by yourself. You blamed others when it is yourself who were at fault. Same with how you chose to never use my mark again. You're just a child who throws tantrum because someone told him he's not so special anymore.”

“But it still doesn’t change the fact that you haven’t done anything!” Daud shouted at him. “You have the power to change the world to be a better place you choose to mark mortals to see what they would do. What are we? Your lab rat? What have your precious marked ones done, huh? Me? I was busy being a pet to someone according to you. Vera Moray went crazy and now she lived in an abandoned house as the crazy Granny Rags! Is this what you want? Have you marked a new person after me?”

“I cannot control what my marked ones do.”

“Then what’s the point of all this?” Daud removed his glove and flashed him the mark. 

The Outsider didn’t say anything.

“You want to know why I don't want to use your mark again? I'm sick of being your source of entertainment anymore. I’ll never use your mark again!”

A smile crept to his pale face. “Oh, but you will again, my old friend. Soon you’ll find yourself in a delicate situation where you need my mark to help you.”

His heart sank low to his gut. He didn’t like the sound of it. “What do you mean?”

“You broke your principle to save those you care,” the Outsider said, “but what will you do when they betray you in the end?”

“What the fuck do you mean?!”

Back in his living room in the material world, Daud woke up with a strangled scream and heavy breathing. It took time until Daud could regain his composure. Meeting the Outsider for the first time in six years was not an easy feat. He could still feel the unnatural cold of the Void in his bones; the earily quite place that was neither here or there. He clutched his elbows, trying to control his breathing back to normal and surpass the need to laugh hysterically like a maniac. 

_What will you do when your friend betray you in the end?_

He was too tired for that shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the story! Thank you for reading this fic and I really hope you're enjoying this! Comment and kudos are greatly appreciated! Let me know what you think! I might end up writing a sequel to this fic!


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